An slightly fuzzy aerial photograph entitled 'River Ely and Windsor Slipway' and dated as c.1932. We are indeed flying above the River Ely looking over toward the Windsor Slipway situated on Ferry Road. Midway is the petroleum wharf and oil storage tanks of the Victoria Petroleum Works on Grange Point. Then we have the river and on its southern shore the remnants of the slipway and gridiron of the former Penarth Dock Ship Building and Shiprepairing Company which by this date had relocated to the end of the dock and had been renamed the Penarth Pontoon and Slipway Company Limited. The slipway became redundant and was closed in 1923.
'The Windsor Slipway comprised two slipways of 900 feet each and was opened in 1882. Some years ago it was closed down and remained idle for a while, and during this time all slipways were dismantled and machinery shifted. During the Second World War two new slipways were built and new machinery for working cradles was installed in order that Government L.T.C. landing craft could be docked and repaired. When the war was over, the slipways were again dismantled and cleared away. The slipways belonged to the Mount Stuart Dry Dock Company, who had taken them over from Mordy and Carney.' [1367]
Moored in Penarth Dock, I believe, are US naval vessels and stored in neat rows on the quayside there could be at least one hundred Quonson huts, oil tanks or vehicles - I'm not too sure what they are! I suggest, therefore, that could be perhaps a few years later than 1932 and maybe when Great Britain was at war and Penarth Dock became a US naval base. Other educated suggestions are very welcome! The photograph is held within the Glamorgan Archives at Cardiff. [599] [Archive Reference : D937/5/4] [20180211]
