Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Canal Boat at Aberdulais Basin
Tonna, Neath Port Talbot, Wales
A scheduled monument in Tonna, Neath Port Talbot, recorded as Canal Boat (Post Medieval/Modern).
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Canal Boat
- Period
- Post Medieval/Modern
- Date of designation
- 5 November 1997
- Community
- Tonna
- Unitary authority
- Neath Port Talbot
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 51.67942, -3.77518
- SAM number
- GM505
- Cadw record number
- 3659
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesUniversity Library, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesUniversity Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1608 map "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1608 · (13) Cambriae Typus. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Sheet 10. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. . (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1897 · 247 Swansea (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- Sheet 7 South Wales (University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
- [Kaart] (University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The monument consists of the remains of a wooden canal boat, typical of those that operated on the canals of Wales, dating to the late 19th century. The boat is believed to have been called The Victoria and built with a timber keel, flat bottom and straight side planks. Early illustrations indicate that such boats were some 18m long by 2.6m beam, and capable of carrying 20-25 tons. They did not have cabins and were also double-prowed to avoid the need for being turned around. The boat currently sits in the Aberdulais Canal Basin, which is the terminus of the Tennant Canal, built in 1824, and its junction with the Neath Canal, which opened in 1794.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of 18th and 19th century transportation systems. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits.
The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.
Nearby in the register
- Aberdulais Basin at the head of the Tennant CanalTransportunder 1 mi
- Railway bridge on NE side of Railway TavernTransportunder 1 mi
- Aberdulais Aqueduct (partly in Blaenhonddan community)Communicationsunder 1 mi
- Aberdulais AqueductAqueductunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.