Thomas Kymer, the beginning
February 19th, 1766
An Act Granted for the Construction of a Canal from Kidwelly to Llanelli
We are pleased to report that on this day, the 19th of February, in the sixth year of His Majesty’s reign, Mr. Thomas Kymer hath been granted an Act of Parliament empowering him to undertake the construction of a navigable canal between Kidwelly and Llanelli, in the County of Carmarthen.
The said undertaking, to be known as the Kidwelly and Llanelli Canal, together with an adjoining tramroad, is designed principally for the conveyance of anthracite coal from the collieries situated near the banks of the Little Gwendraeth River, in the vicinity of Kidwelly, unto the coast, there to be shipped for further transport by sea. This enterprise is expected greatly to advance trade in the district, providing a ready means by which the mineral wealth of the country may be brought to market with greater ease and dispatch.
At its commencement, the canal is intended to unite the coal pits at Pwll y Llygod, near Trimsaran, with a dock near the town of Kidwelly, thereby affording a direct and commodious passage for the coal trade. Such improvements are anticipated to encourage further industry in the neighbourhood and to increase employment amongst the inhabitants.
It is observed, however, that the entrance to the dock at Kidwelly is much subject to silting, which may in time impede the free navigation thereof. In anticipation of such difficulty, authority hath in later years—specifically in 1812—been obtained to extend the canal onward to Llanelli, thereby securing a more certain outlet to the sea and preserving the prosperity of this most useful undertaking.
Thus, through Parliamentary sanction and private enterprise, the commerce of Carmarthenshire is set upon a course of notable improvement, promising lasting benefit to landowners, merchants, and labourers alike.
(Images and article created by Mr Garry Smith)