Volume Four - An Era of Change, Uncertainty, Depression & War - 1950 to early 1960's . . .

	The dredger "Mudeford", known locally as the muddyford, at Penarth c.1951. She was mainly used for dredging close to the quaysides at Penarth and Cardiff Docks. She also played an important role during WWII.
	A 1950’s view of the docks from the basin but prior to 1955 together with a circa 1950 aerial view.

By 1960, the dock is open to shipping for laying-up purposes and the pontoon is still in regular use. I recall as a 9–10 year old riding my bicycle to the docks, against my parents’ wishes, and being excited at the sight of the ships on the pontoon and watching the engineers busy at their work. The St. Patrick and St. David cross-channel packet ships operated by British Railways were sometimes undergoing maintenance on the pontoon – I sailed on these ships out of Weymouth and Southampton for holidays on Guernsey in 1959 and 1961.

Cross-channel packet ships of British Railways which were repaired on the pontoon at Penath.