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In 1979 restoration work continued on the Neath and Tennant Canals with IWA Waterways number 126 reporting that "Work is now concentrated on the Aberclwyd to Rheola section where the canal is substantially cleared. The Jubilee Pound on the Neath Canal from Yscwrfa Lock to Maesgwynn Lock has been dredged. The Prince of Wales' Committee has promised £4,400 to reconstruct the Neath Canal workshops. West Glamorgan C.C. are proposing a public Right of Way along the entire Neath Canal from Neath to Glynneath."
The following information was kindly provided by Ian Milne the General Secretary of the Neath & Tennant Canals Preservation Society.
The Neath & Tennant Canals Preservation Society was formed in 1974 at the Castle Hotel in Neath where the original meeting to form the Neath Canal and Navigation was held in 1790. It became a limited company in 1977 and a registered charity. Its aim is to restore both the Neath and Tennant canals and to link with the Swansea SA1 development.
With support from the local Authorities and the Canal owners, the 3½ mile length from Resolven to Ysgwrfa was restored and opened, including the restoration of seven locks and the construction of a new aqueduct over Nant Clwyd. This project received both a prestigious Europa Nostra Award in 1988 and a Prince of Wales' Award for its restoration. Aberdulais Basin, at the junction of the two canals, was restored in the late 70's by the Society and recieved a Civic Trust Award and its first Prince of Wales' Award in 1978.
The Society has a quarterly newslettter Aqueduct and runs a trip boat Thomas Dadford during the summer months from Neath Town centre to Tonna. This boat has been run by volunteers since 1990, spending its first 8 years on the newly restored stretch at Resolven (see photograph).
At present the Neath Canal Company are dredging 7 kilometres of the Neath Canal between Abergarwed and tonna to remove toxic silt deposited from old mine workings in the Neath Valley and as shareholders of NCN, the Society liases closely with the Canal owners.
The Society owns the old Neath Canal workshops at Tonna comprising forge, smithy, joiners workshop and covered saw-pit. These were recently vanalised by arsonists but have now been completely rebuilt during 2004 and are used for social gatherings etc. The Neath & Tennant Canals Preservation Society meet socially on the last Wednesday in every month at the Smiths' Arms, Neath Abbey for various events e.g. skittles, slide shows.
The restoration of Tynyrheol Lock at Tonna is imminent, the work being due to begin in May/June 2005, with W. S. Atkins as consulting engineers. A consortium of the Society, the Neath Canal Company, Groundwork Bridgend Neath Port Talbot are prime movers in the restoration. So things are moving forward!
The Society work closely with other Canal Associations in Wales and are members the Southern Canals Association and the Inland Waterways Association.
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