The Tennant Canal, Neath Port Talbot

Details

Accessibility It should be noted that the canal is not a Public Right of Way, apart from the western section, from Jersey Marine to Port Tennant (Wales Coastal Path). All sections are liable may be muddy and overgrown and may be closed without notice. The canal is maintained, on behalf of the owners by Leeder Property Management, to whom any concerns should be reported - see website below. 

Brief description The canal was constructed by George Tennant in the 1820s. He was a businessman who came to the area and saw the potential for carrying goods by boat between the Neath Valley and Swansea Docks. By the 1920s boat traffic had ceased but the arrival of the National Oil Refinery at Llandarcy  gave the owners the opportunity to supply water for various processes. This continued until 2021 when the closure of the energy plant at Baglan removed the need for a water supply. Full details of the history can be found in the websites below. 

The canal is currently (with the nearby Neath Canal) the subject of a consultation regarding future use and management by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. 

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Websites  Neath and Tennant Canal - Wikipedia; Tennant Canal Association - Tennant Canal Association - 2025; Neath and Tennant Canals Trust; Contact Us at Leeder Property Consultants

Directions 1. Tonna / Aberdulais B4434 Dulais Fach Rd - from brown sign showing Aberdulais Basin walk under the bridge and you can view the skew bridge from the Neath canal to the basin and walk down to take a closer look at the aqueduct. 

2. Station Rd Aberdulais - the old lock bringing boats down from the aqueduct is at the side of the British Legion. It is also possible to see the remains of the weir across the river which previously supplied the canal and the channel which brought the water in. St the side of the boat house is a pipe which is the only evidence of the fact that locks once ran from the Tinworks (now National Trust owned) to the canal. 

3. Cadoxton - a path between St Catwg's church and Les Davies's Funeral Parlour leads under the railway to the canal. 

4. Bridge Street Neath - the Neath canal and the Tennant Canal can both be accessed here from the opposite banks of the river. 

5. Neath Abbey - Monastery Road. Walk a little way east and see the small canal aqueduct over the River Clydach, also a pool where the boats used to wait their turns to go further along the canal. To the west, beneath the canal is an inverted arch to prevent the canal sinking - one of many scheduled structures on the canal!

6. Jersey Marine - B4290 from the bridge walk east and see the boardwalk on Pant y Sais Fen - continue to explore Red Jacket Pill and the remains of the original sea lock. Walk west along the Coastal Path. The route of the Glan y Wern Canal is now being cleared and hopefully will be linked to the Tennant in time. 

7. Port Tennant Wern Fawr Rd - Black Ash Pond where boats used to wait to go to the docks. Under a railway bridge the canal disappears but it can be seen again on the corner with Fabian way where it disappears into a culvert to flow to the docks.

Opening Times

Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change

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