The three rivers estuary of the Tywi, Gwendraith and Taf rivers combine with the Loughor estuary and meet the Bristol Channel to produce the ever shifting sands of the Carmarthen Bar in Carmarthen Bay. The coastline on each side of Carmarthen Bar is characterised by sand dunes and shallow-fronted beaches. The dunes are active: growing and eroding through a process called long-shore drift. On the west of the Tywi estuary lies Pendine Beach, a seven mile stretch famous for land-speed records in the 1920s. On the east is Cefn Sidan (‘silken sands’) of equal length, which contains in its inter-tidal zone the remains of at least five timber shipwrecks and two made of iron .
One of the most tragic shipwrecks occurred in 1886. The equinoctial gales of that year were the worst in living memory, and in just one week over a hundred vessels foundered in the Bristol Channel alone. One was the iron barque Teviotdale, of 1,673 tons (some records state 2,438 tons). She set out with 29 hands from Cardiff for Bombay with coals, initially being towed by two tugs. The winds freshened by 10 p.m. and ‘blew so fiercely’ that the vessel lost most of her rigging. At 6.30 next morning she took a heavy roll, shipped a quantity of water and her cargo shifted. As the Carmarthen Journal reported ‘The sea was running a height seldom seen on the Welsh coast’ and with the ship taking on more water, and with the loss of her sails, she was almost helpless. She failed in an attempt to run for Penarth Roads and the crew found themselves in Carmarthen Bay. Aground and being mercilessly pounded by the ferocious shallow seas the crew attempted to abandon ship: this failed as three lifeboats were stove in. Eventually a boat was successfully launched with the captain, two officers, 13 men and 3 boys, pushing off leaving 10 men on board. Those that remained tried to dissuade the others from leaving. The lifeboat soon got broadside to the surf, and she was never seen again by those on board. Only two of its occupants survived (one died subsequently) – 17 others drowned.
Meanwhile those left on Teviotdale fired rockets of distress. The Pembrey lifeboat failed to get near her, but some hours later, about 3 p.m. the Ferryside lifeboat brought the 10 survivors ashore. Two days later the vessel was a mile further towards the Tywi estuary, lying on her starboard side, where part of her hull can be seen to this day.
Full credit for this article goes to Terry James