By 1818, barges of 60 tons could
move down the River Neath, lock up into the Tennant Canal and move into
Swansea Harbour. After some years of indifferent profits Tennant
realised that the key to success was to further improve the canal access
up the Neath valley. The eventual result was a canal network which
opened up almost all of the Neath valley to the potential markets of the
port of Swansea.
Once business had been established, Tennant examined the problems of
Swansea Harbour. He reasoned that high tolls and indifferent
accommodation for ships were beginning to have a detrimental affect on
Swansea trade and thus affect the Neath valley and his own profits.
In a 1824 pamphlet which was widely circulated, he put forward his
case for more wide ranging changes in Swansea. He was in effect trying
to tempt business partners to invest with him in improving facilities.
However the pamphlet had the effect of raising awareness of the
difficulties the port faced and the lack of vitality from the Swansea
Harbour Trustees.
Tennant had already invested a significant amount of money in the
wharf in Fabian’s Bay. The increasing amount of Neath valley business
that was finding its way to Swansea necessitated the development. He
argued that a shipping place on the east side of the bar would be
largely free of problems of deposition because the main channel of the
Tawe avoided the eastern side of the bay. Furthermore, the excess
amounts of water that came down the Tennant canal could be used to flush
the eastern channel and scour a deep trench to the harbour entrance.
Tennant used the figures of the Bristol and Swansea tide tables to
illustrate the potential improvements that could be made.
It was increasingly apparent to many , including Tennant that the
larger copper ore ships were more quickly dealt with if there were
better wharves and quays to manage their cargo. Tennant also argued that
the bigger collier brigs of 100 tons or more that characterised the coal
fleet of such towns as Newcastle would be tempted into Swansea if better
accommodation were available. The prize was entrance into the very
lucrative markets of London and the south-east which were very hungry
for coal and suffering from inadequate supply from the north-east of
England.
It was of course but a small step from mooting better accommodation
to pushing for full floating accommodation, and Tennant suggested as
such in his pamphlet. His vision, given shape by his competent engineer
William Kirkhouse resulted in the eminently sensible layout of the
eastern docks which quickly gained the name of ‘Port Tennant’.