Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - Activity at the docks . . .

• 1886 - 'At Cardiff, instead of using the Bristol Channel, which has much silt in mechanical suspension, the waters of the rive Taff are used for supplying the docks, while the docks at Penarth are entirely supplied by the tide water of the Bristol Channel.' [572] [20170714]

• 1886 - Loading of Coal and Coal Staithes - 'At Middlesborough and at Penarth they can load 150 tons per hour, but 106 are as much as can be trimmed on board.' [572] [20170714]

• 1891 - Trade at Penarth Dock - 'Through the courtesy of Mr. James Edwards, we are enabled to give the following comparative statement showing (a summary of) the volume of trade at Penarth Dock : -

South Wales Daily News - [325] [361] - 28th January 1891 [20170806]

The opening of the new Barry Dock during 1889 had a disastrous impact upon trade at Penarth as the table from the above report indicates. Penarth Dock and the Ely Tidal Harbour was probably the most seriously affected of the South Wales ports since the export trade in 1890 declined to only one third of that the previous year. The parent company, the Taff Vale Railway, was consequently badly impacted ; its dividend being an impressive 15% in 1888 had, by 1891, been depressed to a mere 2.25%.

Despite this setback in performance at Penarth the market for South Wales steam coal continued to expand and exports gradually increased ; the dip seems to have spurred a determination of all concerned to win back the trade at Penarth which eventually occurred with a little help of a reduction in railway freight rates.