Latitude: 51.6517 / 51°39'6"N
Longitude: -3.8361 / 3°50'9"W
OS Eastings: 273071
OS Northings: 196362
OS Grid: SS730963
Mapcode National: GBR H1.73SZ
Mapcode Global: VH4K5.GRC5
Plus Code: 9C3RM527+MH
Entry Name: Neath River Swing Bridge (partly in Coedffranc and Neath Communities)
Listing Date: 5 January 1989
Grade: II
Source: Cadw
Source ID: 23310
Building Class: Transport
ID on this website: 300023310
Location: Spanning the River Neath on the W side of Neath town.
County: Neath Port Talbot
Community: Briton Ferry (Llansawel)
Community: Briton Ferry
Locality: River Neath
Traditional County: Glamorgan
The Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway was incorporated in 1882 but was not completed until 1900, the original plans having been extensively modified. The line between Neath and Swansea, crossing the River Neath, was authorised in 1892. The bridge was built 1892-4 with a swing portion of 52 metres and a gross weight of 1422 tonnes. The chief engineer was S.W. Yockney, the resident engineer was F.E. Goldwyre and the contractor was George Palmer. Steelwork was supplied by Finch & Co of Chepstow. It was originally hydraulically operated, the machinery supplied by William Armstrong of Newcastle, but is now fixed.
The slightly curved plate-girder deck has 5 fixed spans on round steel cylinders sunk into the river bed. The central movable span comprises a parabolic lattice girder truss with Pratt truss diagonal members. The structure rests on a cast iron roller race containing the operating mechanism which is carried on smaller steel cylinders.
Listed for industrial archaeological interest as the only oblique swing bridge in Britain.
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