Volume Ten - Pre-Victorian to the present day - even more aspects - The Shipping World Article of June 1886 . . .

This is the source from which Penarth has drawn its power, which has doubled its population and trebled the number of its houses within a few years ; and to its harbour and dock will Penarth continue to be indebted in the future, for we look with confidence to the time when the town will grow in numbers, strength, and importance, when the hill which now separates the dock from the more populous portion of the town will be still more completely covered by dwelling-houses, and the natural attraction and genial climate of the district combine to make it one of the most popular, as it is now one of the healthiest, watering-places on our western coasts.

The Penarth Harbour, Dock, and Railway Company was formed in 1856 under the auspices of the following gentlemen, who constituted the Board of Directors : - Hon. Colonel Clive (father of the present Lord Windsor) chairman, Messrs. John Batchelor, Lewis Davies, Crawshay Bailey, W. S. Cartwright, John Nixon, and Thomas Powell. The first work of the new Company was to continue the Taff Vale Railway at Radyr to the river Ely, and the formation of a tidal harbour. This measure, which was entitled the Ely Tidal Harbour and Railway Act, received Royal assent on July 21, 1856. The harbour, which was about two years in course of construction and cost £137,000, has a river frontage on the Cardiff side of 12,000 feet, and on the Penarth side of 3,000 feet, making a total of 15,000 feet. It is 4,000 feet in length and covers an area of 55 acres. The depth of water at ordinary high tide is 30 feet, and at neap tides 20 feet. There are ten coal tips for the shipment of coal, each capable of shipping 150 tons per hour, and three steam cranes for discharging ballast, iron ore, &c. Vessels of 800 tons burthen can take the ground and load with safety and despatch in this harbour. Although the work done in the tidal harbour is necessarily small, when compared with that performed in the Company's dock, there is, nevertheless, a fair amount of business done, as will be seen when we say that during last year the number of vessels cleared from the harbour was no less than 1,790, representing 186,566 tons.

The year following the completion of the harbour works the Company applied for Parliamentary powers to enable them to construct a dock on the south-west side of the river Ely and immediately under the cliffs, on the north side of the hill on which the town now stands.