Volume Ten - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - Even more aspects - Investigation into the Condition of the Ely River Subway 1991 . . .

A Brief History of the Ely River Subway :

On 21st July 1856 the Ely Tidal Harbour and Railway Company was incorporated by an Act of Parliament as an independent company (with Taff Vale Railway support) for the purpose of constructing a Tidal Harbour on the north bank of the Ely River at Penarth and a connecting branch railway to the Taff Vale main line at Radyr. 

A subsequent Act of 27th July 1857 authorised further extensions and improvements of the dock scheme and a change of title to the Penarth Harbour, Dock and Railway Company.  The six miles of branch line and Tidal Harbour were opened in 1859, Penarth Dock being completed in 1865 with a later extension finished in 1884.

When the dock was completed a steam driven chain ferry replaced the rowing boat previously used to provide access between the Dock and the Harbour.  However the Ferry could not be used at low tide or in poor weather and it was therefore considered necessary to improve the situation.

• Crossing the Ely before the Subway was effected by a steam driven Chain Ferry.

The provision of a Subway was first considered in 1893, not only to improve access but also to provide a services corridor, enabling hydraulic pressure mains to be laid taking power from the dockside power house to service the coal staithes in the Tidal Harbour.  On March 2nd 1897 the minutes of the Taff Vale Railway Company recorded that "the tender of Mr Tom Taylor for the construction for the sum of £26,203 of the Subway  . . . . . had been accepted".