Penarth Dock, South Wales - the heritage and legacy

Volume Two - The Era of Optimism, Investment & Development - Developments at the turn of the 20th century . .

This c.1908 photograph (and the lower enlargement) is taken from the southern bank of the River Ely on high ground at the former juncture of the river and the Cogan Pill. The entrance to the Pill was below the line of hedge and trees in the foreground of the image. It was culverted and filled with spoil from the construction of the dock in the early 1860's.

In the river is the 'landing stage' which is indicated on contemporary maps and charts (such as the 1915 OS map) with a further stage beyond which is indicated on the 1895 TVR plan of the dock as the 'Explosives Pier'. [000] [001] [328]

The pontoon has not yet been installed and the boiler plant of the centrifugal pumping house is emitting smoke and steam indicating that the dock is probably in the process of being topped up with water from the river at a rate of over 2.5 tonnes of water per second. The dual culvert inlets to the pumps were situated under the landing stage.

Note that the river bank is neatly lined with stone blocks called 'pitching' which extended between the landing stages and beyond. The drawing office where I spent the final year of my apprenticeship to the end of 1969 was situated over the river, placed upon stilts and adjacent to the remains of the 'landing stage'. By this time the stone lining had been washed away and there was copious amounts of soft mud in its place. The image is from '107 Views of Cardiff and District'. [000] [001] [328]

'Distant view of Penarth Docks' - Another postcard from the Penarth Dock Collection [001] which has been hand-coloured. This photograph has been taken at almost the same location as the image above. The date - Simple my Dear Watson! The four tips in the basin (installed 1899-1900) are present but only tip number 19 in the main dock is present, hence number 20 is yet to be constructed (or vice versa). The date of this photograph can only be from the period, say, late 1904 to 1905.

A trow or ketch awaits is cargo at the Ely Tidal Harbour coal tip on the left. The same twin funnel ship is moored up in the dock at the north quay. I love this view as it was taken close by the drawing office location where I spent almost a year of my life staring at the murky river water awaiting inspiration to invade my brain cell!