Damage to the Derwen Group’s Listed Works Bridge leaves Tennant canal walkers unsure how to safely continue their journey.
A towpath bridge that has quietly deteriorated over many years under the strain of heavy industrial traffic has now reached a point where its condition can no longer be ignored. Repeated use by large vehicles has warped the structure, undermined its stability, and left visible signs of long‑term fatigue.
What had become a familiar but overlooked hazard has suddenly been formalised with the appearance of new warning signs, alerting the public that the bridge is now considered unsafe. For regular walkers, this abrupt shift from silent decay to official caution has created confusion along the towpath, raising questions about access, safety, and the future of a route already burdened by neglect.
It is our understanding that these warnings were not installed by the canal’s owners, but were instead put in place by the Derwen Group. We also believe that under a private agreement between the landowners and the company, Derwen Group is responsible for maintaining this 200‑year‑old bridge.
The fact that the bridge has deteriorated to the point where unofficial safety signs are now required suggests a failure of oversight and a maintenance regime that has fallen far short of what such an historic crossing demands.
The Derwen Group bridge has been literally falling apart for years, its condition worsening with every passing month as heavy industrial traffic continued to batter a structure never designed for such loads.
Local residents and walkers have reported the deterioration to Neath and Port Talbot councillors on numerous occasions, yet no meaningful action has ever been taken.
The irony is impossible to ignore: even though the bridge has now been formally declared dangerous, a Neath and Port Talbot Council lorry still passes over it as part of its routine operations.
For towpath users, the result is confusion, restricted access, and yet another example of infrastructure along the Tennant Canal being left to decline until the danger becomes impossible to ignore.