The Grace Darling - Swansea Canal Song by Robert Blackford (2022) In 1918 as the guns were ablaze, A vessel was built to work in this place Of coal mines and copper and rolling tinplate The barge was a darling and her name was Grace Chorus : The old tow boat, the old tow boat Bill Barnes was the owner and Ginny his horse Together they ferried the barge on its course From Clydach to Glais, from village to town They carried the men to melt copper down Chorus As profits were made and as Grace worked the cut The world was evolving and change was afoot The canal was abandoned, as factories shut Replaced by the railways, they filled in the cut Chorus Today Bill and Ginny are no longer here A century later we still hold them dear We sing of their tale and have painted a wall So folk here in Swansea remember them all Chorus The old tow boat This song was written by Robert Blackford for the 225th Anniversary of the Swansea Canal in 2023. “The Swansea Canal was a canal constructed by the Swansea Canal Navigation Company between 1794 and 1798, running for 16.5 miles (26.6 km) from Swansea to Hen Neuadd, Abercraf in South Wales. It was steeply graded, and 36 locks were needed to enable it to rise 373 feet (114 m) over its length. The main cargoes were coal, iron and steel, and the enterprise was profitable. Sold to the Great Western Railway in 1873, it continued to make a profit until 1895. A period of decline followed, with the last commercial traffic using the waterway in 1931. Subsequently, parts of it were closed and filled in under a succession of owners, but around 5 miles (8.0 km) remain in water. The Swansea Canal Society, formed in 1981, is actively involved in plans for its restoration.” - Wikipedia
The Grace Darling - Swansea Canal Song by Robert Blackford (2022) In 1918 as the guns were ablaze, A vessel was built to work in this place Of coal mines and copper and rolling tinplate. The barge was a darling and her name was Grace. Chorus : The old tow boat, the old tow boat Bill Barnes was the owner and Ginny his horse Together they ferried the barge on its course From Clydach to Glais, from village to town They carried the men to melt copper down Chorus As profits were made and as Grace worked the cut The world was evolving and change was afoot The canal was abandoned, as factories shut Replaced by the railways, they filled in the cut Chorus Today Bill and Ginny are no longer here A century later we still hold them dear We sing of their tale and have painted a wall So folk here in Swansea remember them all Chorus The old tow boat This song was written by Robert Blackford for the 225th Anniversary of the Swansea Canal in 2023. “The Swansea Canal was a canal constructed by the Swansea Canal Navigation Company between 1794 and 1798, running for 16.5 miles (26.6 km) from Swansea to Hen Neuadd, Abercraf in South Wales. It was steeply graded, and 36 locks were needed to enable it to rise 373 feet (114 m) over its length. The main cargoes were coal, iron and steel, and the enterprise was profitable. Sold to the Great Western Railway in 1873, it continued to make a profit until 1895. A period of decline followed, with the last commercial traffic using the waterway in 1931. Subsequently, parts of it were closed and filled in under a succession of owners, but around 5 miles (8.0 km) remain in water. The Swansea Canal Society, formed in 1981, is actively involved in plans for its restoration.” - Wikipedia