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Gerald Grant's Tales of Seaside

Sea Shore - 1800

In 1757 Wiliam Jones drew up a plan of the Burry Estuary showing Machynys (Machynis), of “Sir Thomas Stepney, Bart. a Seat on high Land an island on Spring Tides.” and showing the location of “Llanelly Town.” Between the two locations “Flat low Land” is recorded and around Machynys “Steep Rocky Shore” is noted. The coastline indicates there was an area known as Cefn Patrick Sands and there was no sign of a breakwater or harbour facilities.

In 1804 John Roberts of the Scarecrow on Bryn Bach, Llanelly Flats, placed several canon to protect the estuary from invasion by the French. Also, certain gentlemen of Llanelly and its neighbourhood bought six 24 pounders to place on Machynys Point to protect the navigation of the Burry River. This indicates that there was no breakwater at this time between the estuary and the coastline.

On a plan of the Estuary drawn up by John Wedge in 1806/7 the Carmarthenshire Dock and Rail Road was shown along with Llanelly, Penyfan, the Copperworks and Machynys. The Flats are also shown and an area called Weymouth Sands. This shows quite clearly that the coastal area from Pembrey to Machynis was sandy and exposed to the westerly winds that constantly buffeted the coastline.

The early industrialists were quick to realise that they would have to provide some sort of safe harbour to protect vessels whilst loading and unloading. In 1812 a violent storm damaged the docks, railways and the embankment, which prompted the 59 Harbour Commissioners (appointed by an Act of Parliament of July 1813) to carryout specific improvements authorised by the Act. Work on the Great Embankment, (damaged by the storm) built from Penrhyngwyn Point to Maesarddafen, had been started in 1808 and was designed to transform the marshland at Machynys, into profitable land.

Before he died in 1813 Charles Nevill and the Harbour Commissioners authorised the building of a breakwater and stipulated that no ballast was to be placed on the eastern side of the River Lliedi from Sandy to Machynys. Ballast was only to be tipped on the western side, in order to create a breakwater for craft loading and unloading at Old Castle and Llanelly Flats. Depositing of ballast was to commence half way on a line from the entrance to Squire Raby’s Dock to the barrel post or pier head. This means that the breakwater was tipped near its middle and not from its land end outward which is usually assumed. The Harbour Commissioners instructed the Masters of the arriving sailing vessels to tip their ballast, northward and southward.

By March 1815 the industrialists were advertising “the Harbour being now buoyed by Act of Parliament, vessels can at all times come in and out with perfect ease and safety.” The Breakwater and the area originally known as Llanelly Flats is man made ground, which was quite a feat of civil engineering.

Coal Mining in the Llanelly Area, Vol. 1: 16th Century to 1830, Dr M. V. Symons