Volume Ten - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - Even more aspects - Penarth Dock in 1924 . . .

A document entitled 'Port Facilities of Great Britain - The Report of the Port Facilities Committee Appointed by the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom, with Representatives of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, and of the Federation of British Industries. - Second Edition - 1924' [824] [499] is the basis of this chapter. It provides an insight into the status of Penarth Dock and the Ely Tidal Harbour within this report, published by the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom, of 28, St. Mary Axe, E.C.3.

PENARTH

The Sub-Committee visited this port on the 30th January, 1924, and were received by Mr. E. C. Edwards, Superintendent of the Dock; Mr. Clay, Chairman of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce; Captain Barrett, Dock master, and the officials of the Great Western Railway Company, and other gentlemen representing the local associations.

Penarth Dock is situated under the Penarth Head, within the Port of Cardiff and is distant by water about one mile from the Bute, Docks. Penarth Dock was opened in 1863 for the Taff Vale Railway Company, who retained the ownership until the re-grouping of the railway system at the beginning of last year.

The chief exports are coal and coke. The imports, amongst general merchandise, are mainly wood pulp. One feature that may be mentioned in this connection is the fact that in 1913 the import of pit-wood and mining timber was very material, whereas in the year 1923 same was infinitesimal. The marked falling off in this commodity is attributed to labour difficulties, which to some extent have recently been adjusted, so that imports will again commence in the near future.