Our friendship with the Friends of White Rock in Llandore continues. Today, seven of us visited the Smiths Canal and the White Rock Copper Works which are both on the East Side of the Tawe, south of the Liberty Stadium.

The Smiths Canal ran from Llansamlet to Foxhole. Only the last mile or so remains.The heavy rain of the last few days had filled the first stretch with much water and it was certainly an imposing sight with a width that would have taken eight canoes sideby side. This is only temporary (until the restoration begins,of course) and it will bedry come summer.

The canal then runs underground with an arched brick Cut and Cover. In this tunnel the barges would have taken the coal needed for the ever-burning furnaces of the Copperworks. There were fourteen furnaces in all and the coal went straight from the boats inthe tunnel to the furnaces. The heat in the tunnel can only be imagined.

We were able to get into the cut and cover and see the amount of rubble that needs to be removed before a boat can ever return. BUt the FWR are determined to make this happen.

We will be with their endeavour all the way.