Welsh Journals

What seems certain is that the vessel's deterioration started from the time it was placed in the New Cut and was quite swift thereafter. An undated photograph in the Swansea City Council Archive (ref. no. P/PR/89) shows the vessel probably sometime in the 1930s in an ad- vanced state of decay. Aerial photographs of the New Cut in 1945 (also in the City Archive) show the vessel in a very similar state to that in which it was to the time of the removal of the remains in mid-1990. It is perhaps unfortunate that the early summer of 1990 saw the final removal of the 'Lady Quirk' from the bed of the New Cut. Despite its rather dilapidated condition, the removal proved to be quite a task and took several days. An article in the Evening Post on 8th June 1990 bears witness to the substantial nature of the wreck when it reported that "sixteen lorry loads" of timber were removed from the New Cut and deposited on Fairwood Common! I took the opportunity to visit this final resting place of the 'Lady Quirk' and found to my surprise that many of the timbers were quite sound and smelt strongly of pine resin despite having being immersed in the river for over seventy years. The arrival of the timber on the Common caused quite a stir amongst the local community and it has now been removed and dispersed. It is interesting to note that seventy years after the disposal of the ship first caused speculation in the local press it attracted a great deal of coverage when it met its final end. Acknowledgements I am grateful to the staff at the Swansea Central Library for providing facilities for photographing newspaper files there. Gower Society Membership The Gower Society actively promotes the protection and conservation of Gower's natural beauty, safeguards public footpaths and commons, and encourages the study of the archaeology, history (early and recent) and natural history of the whole of the ancient Lordship. The Society also has a very full programme of guided walks, lectures and social activities (over one hundred events every year). Membership costs just two pounds per year (1st January to 31st December) or four pounds for family membership (husband, wife and all children under 18). To join, write to the Membership Secretary at the address inside the back cover of this Journal, enclosing a cheque for the appropriate sum.