Swansea and Port Talbot Docks History
Shipping
This section includes photographs of cargo vessels at Swansea.
Ships at Swansea Docks – Summer 2024
For other vessels, including ferries, click here.
For Naval Vessels, click here.
For locally owned vessels, click here.
There are many other shipping photos to be found in our contributors pages -
Coastlines steamship Talbot on 21 Shed Wharf, South Dock, Swansea – 1906
Coastlines steamship Talbot departing Swansea for Ireland – 1906
Fredavore arriving with a cargo of pit-props in 1924
Pareora discharging zinc concentrates at No. 4 Quay, Swansea, in 1928
P&O Line's refrigerated cargo vessel Ballarat on the west end of D Shed Wharf, Kings Dock, Swansea in 1933. The ship was broken up at Briton Ferry in 1935
SS San Carlos loading scrap, A shed wharf, Kings Dock - 1930'S
Schooner Emily Barratt pictured at Barnstable Harbour c.1935. Built in 1913, the schooner transported cargoes of grain from Devon to Weaver's Flour Mills in Swansea during the 1930s
Schooner Emily Barratt discharging grain for Weaver's Flour Mills at Victoria Wharf in Swansea's North Dock Basin c.1935
Blue Funnel cargo liner Ulysses loading general cargo at ‘A’ Shed, Swansea, in 1933
Copacabana on Graigola Wharf, Swansea, on October 12th to October 28th, 1942
Blue Funnel cargo liner Cyclops on D Shed Wharf, Kings Dock, Swansea c.1950
Ships in the Kings Dock, Swansea, in 1956. The small coaster in the foreground is the Ballygilbert, a regular visitor to the port
m.v. ‘Pieter S’ approaching ‘D’ Shed Wharf, Swansea, in the mid-1950’s
Blue Star Line refrigerated cargo liner Tasmania Star on D Shed Wharf, Kings Dock, Swansea – 1958
SS City of Winnipeg (Ellerman Line) with tug Brockenhurst in Kings Dock - 1958
Blue Funnel cargo liner Agapenor departing Swansea c,1955 assisted by the Alexandra Towing Company tug Brockenhurst
m.v. ‘Indus’ on No. 4 Quay, Swansea, in the mid-1950’s
Pakistan-registered ship Al Amin on No.14 Hoist, Kings Dock c.1960
French cargo ship Penmarch berthed on the approach jetty at Swansea waiting to enter the Kings Dock locks c.1960.
Swedish general cargo ship Fernleaf arriving at Swansea Docks c.1960
City of Hull (Ellerman Line) on A Shed Wharf, Kings Dock c.1960
German cargo vessel Holstenau berthed on G Shed Wharf, Prince of Wales Dock, Swansea c.1965
m.v. Clan Menzies berthed at ‘B’ Shed, Swansea in 1962
SS City of Khartoum (Ellerman Line) on D Shed Wharf, Kings Dock - 1960
SS American Harvester and tug Waterloo approaching Kings Dock Lock - C.1960
German coaster 'Wiedau departing Swansea Docks - 1960's
MV Carl Fisser on D Shed wharf, Kings Dock - 1962
MV Surrey (Federal Steam Navigation Co.) loading cargo, D Shed wharf - 1962
Alexandra’s tugs assisting the Blue Funnel cargo liner Dolius towards the lock entrance at Swansea (1960’s)
Local sand boat Glen Hafod in Swansea Bay, with the bucket dredger David Davies in the background. (early 1960’s)
m.v. Ostfriesland at No. 4 Quay, Swansea, in 1962
Agia Sophia arriving at Swansea with a cargo of pit-props c.1962
Pictured on D Shed Wharf is Houlder Bros. cargo liner Westbury, built by Burntisland Shipbuilding Ltd. in 1960 and broken up in 1983. To the right is the m.v. Halifax City (1960’s)
MV Dalla (Elder Demster Line) on D Shed wharf, Kings Dock and coaster Juliana - 1964
Finnish coaster 'Tellus' heading across Kings Dock - 1965
Clan Macgillivray (Clan Line) approaching Kings Dock lock entrance c.1965
m.v. Petrostranda in Kings Dock Lock, Swansea, in 1967
Lamport & Holt's cargo liner Rubens heading for the locks assisted by Alexandra's tug Waterloo c.1966
MV Ruahine (New Zealand Shipping Co.) loading general cargo & embarking approx, 300 passengers bound for New Zealand - 1967
German-registered cargo ship Martha Peters on Graigola Wharf, Kings Dock c.1968
Glen Hafod in North Dock Basin
m.v. City of Melbourne being manoeuvred by Alexandra’s tugs in Kings Dock, Swansea (1960’s)
Berthed at No.4 Quay is the Norwegian vessel ‘Northolt’ on charter to the Bristol City Line. The semi-portal cranes on the Mole (left) were scrapped in 1976 and ‘M’ Shed (top right) was demolished in 1981
Ships on C Shed Wharf (left) and a ship on B Shed Wharf (right) in the early 1970’s
MV Viola heading for Kings Dock Lock - 1970
Yugoslavian ship Cavtat on N Shed Wharf, Kings Dock c.1970
Dutch coaster 'Jacob Teekman' approaching Kings Dock Lock - 1970
Cypriot vessel Astro Mariner under the Kings Dock coal hoists - 1975
Blue Funnel cargo liner Eumaeus on D Shed Wharf, Kings Dock, Swansea in 1976
The stern of the Chaulk Tenacity with the sun rising over the Queens Dock. Photo: Matthew Jones
m.v. ‘Axionestin’ loading a cargo of steel at ‘D’ Shed Wharf, Swansea (1980’s)
m.v Log Bergen berthed at ‘N’ Shed Wharf, Swansea (1980’s)
MV State of Orissa (left) & another India-owned ship in Kings Dock - C.1990
The Indian vessel Vishva Parag, heading for Swansea Docks in 1994, was listing badly and thought to be in danger of sinking. As a precaution she was beached at West Cross for an inspection of the hull, and later floated off and safely docked
MV Vishva Karuna & tug Alexandra in Kings Dock Lock - C.1995
m.v. Worthing loading coal at Graigola Wharf/Scherzer Passage c. 1995
Tug Boat Chieftain and the City of Bristol in the Prince of Wales Dock 1997
Dolius, Juno & Cote de Grace II at A Shed Wharf
Royal Mail Lines ship Loch Loyal on D Shed Wharf, Kings Dock, Swansea c.1965
Australind cargo-liner Araluen on N Shed Wharf, Kings Dock, Swansea c.1965
Blue Star Line's ship Ulster Star on D Shed Wharf, Kings Dock, 1965
New Zealand Shipping Co. cargo-liner Hinakura on M Shed Wharf, Kings Dock, Swansea c.1960
German coaster Helga Hauschildt on Phoenix Wharf, Kings Dock, Swansea, c.1965
French coaster Rhone in Kings Dock, Swansea c.1970
Lamport & Holt's cargo-liner Ronsard entering Kings Dock, Swansea assisted by Alexander's tug Wallasey c.1965
T&J Brocklebank's ship Mangla entering Kings Dock, Swansea assisted by Britannia tug Clyneforth c.1965
Hain Steam Ship Company's general cargo vessel Trecarne on No.4 Quay, Kings Dock, Swansea, 1968
Yugoslavian general cargo vessel Ploce on No.4 Quay, Kings Dock, Swansea c.1965
Federal Steam Navigation cargo-liner Hertford on D Shed Wharf, Kings Dock, Swansea c.1960
Federal Steam Navigation cargo-liner Surrey on D Shed Wharf, Kings Dock, Swansea, 1962