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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Christie Bannon

This is why more than 100 names have been engraved into paving slabs in Swansea Marina

Walking around Swansea Marina, you don't tend to pay much attention to what's below you.

But if you glance down at one particular walkway in SA1 , you'll probably be surprised to see a long list of names beside you.

The Riverside Walkway, which runs between the sail bridge and the Trafalgar bridge, is home to 113 names engraved into the paving slabs.

From Sally to Grace, to John and Felicity, each name represents each ship that was registered in Swansea since 1824.

The Riverside Walkway artworks are a modern interpretation of the history of the area (Jonathan Myers)

The majority of the names included in the artwork are first names after it was discovered that many ships were given people's first names.

Craig Wood, senior lecturer in fine art at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and artist Perry Roberts collaborated on the 300-metre long project in 2013.

Mr Wood said: "The names are all ship names that we collated from the shipping archives held in the Swansea library.

"We selected the ship's titles that consisted of people's names and added them interspersed to form a kind of rhythm as you walk along the path.

"Children like to look for their own name in there."

Among the names making their mark is one that's very recognisable in Swansea.

Zeta has been engraved into the stone as it was once a boat that Catherine Zeta-Jones ' great-grandfather once sailed.

The actress' grandmother was also named Zeta after the pride of the city's copper exporting fleet.

Zeta is among the 113 names that are listed along the pathway (Jonathan Myers)
There are over 100 names engraved into the paving slabs (Jonathan Myers)

The Riverside Walkway artworks are a modern interpretation of the history of The Prince of Wales Dock, as the art references the ships that entered the port, the goods and materials that were exported, and the merchant sailors who stopped there from all over the world.

At one time 6,000 ships were sailing in and out of the port each year, making it well recognised across the globe.

Also along the pathway are two "tattoo carpets" which have been engraved into the paving slabs, with the designs based on popular maritime tattoos that workers had at the time.

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