An Old Quay at Mumbles
by Carol Powell M.A.
Everything flows and nothing abides,
Everything gives way and nothing stays fixed
Heraclitus
Between the slipway for today's inshore lifeboat and that giving access to the sea from the Knab Rock, is an interesting structure now partly buried among the stones.
No-one seems to know what it is. It is not part of the so-called 'primitive' sewage outfall as that passes over it and it does not appear to have anything to do with the oyster industry. It is not shown on any old map.
This article poses a question but cannot yet answer it.
Several historic documents suggest the existence of a quay, but its whereabouts are vague.
Could this painting showing a ship at Southend, loading or unloading cargo at a quay, be the one referred to below?
Any sugestions? please contact us
A painting showing a ship at Southend
Here are some sources which are worth exploring:-
There was an ancient quay at Mumbles, which is referred to in the Cromwellian Survey of Gower of 1650 (p68) as 'The Key of Mumbles within the said Lordshipp' which hath, 'acustom payable by strangers. Vitz., for every stone of wooll there laden and unladen ob. [½d]; for every boatload cattle iiijd; for every tun of iron ijd; and alsoe Killage.' (keelage as at swansea).
The Lord hath a Quarry of limestones in the comon or Wast ground called Mumbles Clift which may be lett per annum xli
The Tenants claims comon for all manner of cattle sans number in these wast grounds following viz. Clyne Moor, Mumbles Clift, West Clift, Summer lift and Norton Burroughs and that the Inhabitants of Manselfield, Norton and Oystermouth Jute Xoon in the said Clyne Moor.
Cromwellian Survey of Gower, 1650, West Glam Archive D/D MG1
The encroachment of the sea in Swansea Bay is referred to by Captian Huddart in his report to the Harbour Trustees. 'within 150 to 200 years the contour of the bay has been considerably modified. We possess a plan of the Dunns at Oystermouth of 1663 upon which is plotted a considerable tract of land to seaward, . . . but which has now disappeared. The remains of a bed of peat with here and there stumps of trees, mark the encroachment in the neighbourhood of Blackpill (see also p 93)The history of the Port of Swansea by WH Jones p355
About the end of 18C Edward Llwyd's correspondent referring to Oystermouth, said, 'Within y't parish is a common port or passage into England, wherein is builded a Key for that purpose,' and as the parish extended to the river at Blackpill, it may well have been that the Quay shown on the old map is that referred to in Parochialia, supplement to Arch. Camb., 1911, p142
But is the Oystermouth mentioned, the Parish (which stretched from Blackpill to Mumbles Head and around to Caswell) or the village?
There is a chart of Swansea Bay, 1795 which suggests that at a later date a quay was provided at a lower line of high-water than prevails today.The history of the port of Swansea by WH Jones, p353, 1922,