Description

Landore Viaduct 1895 

Landore Viaduct was originally built from wood and was designed by the greatly renowned engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel as part of the Great Western Railway line from London to Swansea 1850. The London GWR line at Swansea would connect up to railway lines from Llanelli, Carmarthen, Haverford West, and Fishgard, Pembrokeshire. This opened up Swansea as the gateway to West Wales and Ireland. The Viaduct passed over the River Tawe, Swansea Vale Railway line at Landore, Swansea canal and Neath Road.  Swansea Vale Railway line ran from the Midland Station in St Thomas, Swansea, Northwards to Abercraf, Onllwyn, Glyn Neath and Merthyr Tydfil. The line would have run along side the River Tawe east and crossed over near to where the football stadium is today running through the Duffryn Works in Morriston.  Prior to the coming of the railways, canals were the main form of transport for carrying coal and goods throughout the UK. Swansea canal had been built in 1798 and started at The Strand in Swansea and travelled up through Landore, Morriston, Clydach, Pontardawe and Ystradgynlais to Abercraf. This journey was 16 miles long and rising to 400ft above see level (121.92 m) this was done by a series of 36 locks. With the coming of the railways, canals were less used and after the turn of the 20th century went into decline. In 1889 the Landore Viaduct was rebuilt using wrought iron and although not the original wooden structure the viaduct is till standing and is part of the main line into Swansea High Street, Station.