'Penarth Ferry', the first 'Kate', a double ended paddle steamer with passengers disembarking at the Penarth Head landing stage sometime after 1865. The ferry service ran every half hour subject to the state of the tide and the fare was 2d. (about 0.8p.)
Built by John Payne of Bristol to the order of the Cardiff Steam Navigation Company, the 'Kate' was an iron hulled ship of 40 gross tons (21 tons net). The double ended description meant that she had a pointed end each end and also had rudders fore and aft to assist in navigating a reasonably straight course when the tide was in flood. She had a twin cylinder, diagonally mounted configuration steam engine and was 74' - 7" long, of 13' - 8" beam, with a draught of 5' - 7", hence she required about six feet of water to float in when unladen. The jetties were therefore necessary on each bank of the river.
She was licensed for 227 passengers but was registered only on a "river" licence so would not have been permitted for use at sea i.e. the trip to Penarth beach. She became the relief boat in 1893, was sold in 1894 and in 1896 was converted to a 'lighter' or 'hulked' dependant upon which source you read.
Note the ladies seated on the beach fishing - it's conger Ely eel for tea; delicious! I think this image is of the landing stage at Penarth Head looking out towards the channel with ships departing from Cardiff. Also note the posts on the shore which have obviously been modeled on Mr. B's stovepipe hat! These flanged posts are the base sections onto which the permanent landing stage will be mounted. I believe that the location is as per that highlighted in the lower map but could it be the landing stage at Penarth beach I ponder? One plausible suggestion is that they are the foundations of an aborted attempt to build the pier by the Penarth Promenade & Landing Pier Company in the late 1880's. The heading of the ships, however, does suggest that it is as per the map below. [002] [069] [154]
A Cardiff Times [019] report of 23rd March 1895 recorded an event where a model of the 'Kate' was displayed and stated that "the original of which is said to have made 70,000 trips between Cardiff and Penarth".
