Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - The dock extension of 1883 . . .

"Penarth Dock - To The Editor - Sir, - I have read a good deal of the congested state of the dock room at Cardiff lately. Being on a visit to Penarth, and looking over the panoramic view from the headland there, I was struck with the appearance of the dock. I could scarcely see any water at all. In the middle of the dock there were nine large vessels abreast. You could scarcely put a proverbial pin in between them. I counted 28 vessels in the dock proper, and eight, including the dredger, in the basin. How they managed to swing them is beyond me. The ships were all of large size - only one little schooner among them - so far as I could see. Every tip was occupied; one large four-master enjoying the privilege of three. The little bit of extension cut out seems to me utterly inadequate for the present business, to say nothing of the probable increase. It is like adding an attic to a large house. Few of these vessels seemed less than a thousand tons register. The "four-master" very likely double that, and to carry 3,000 to 4,000 tons of coal away. I am credibly informed that - space for space - there is even less at Cardiff Docks than at Penarth. To relieve this congestion, I would suggest that Barry Dock be made at once - say in a fortnight - and placed on the West Mud. That arrangement would probably meet the exigency for a short time, and plans for another dock could be got ready. - I am, &c., - 11th June, 1881 - Visitor - South Wales Daily News [325] 13th June 1883

The extension to the Penarth Dock was the subject of a very detailed newspaper report later in June 1883:

"Penarth Dock Extension - Progress of the Work - The new dock works at Penarth have been progressing in a most material manner of late. Soon to form a most important addition to the local shipping accommodation, they have not hitherto attracted a great share of public attention, others and schemes of the future having largely occupied men's minds. But the difficult task of removing a hill of solid rock and of scooping out a deep dock has been steadily proceeding. The contractor, Mr. T. A. Walker, has brought to bear, in the course of his work, almost every piece of modern mechanism which could be applied to his purpose, and it may be fairly stated that the scene of operations is not only remarkable from an engineering point of view, but altogether beggars description. The forming of the dock is an unique enterprise. In consequence of the exceptional physical difficulties of the situation, both as to the nature of the site itself and the limited and awkward character of its approaches, a vast amount of ingenuity and skill have been required to carry on the project. But everything not only appears to have been carried on with order, but a strict and proper economy in the disposition of all available material has been observed.