Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - A History of Penarth Dock by Roy Thorne . . .

Trade continued to grow at the dock. In 1880 the total tonnage dealt with were 1,941,500 tons. Exports were 1,880,482 tons and imports 61,018 tons. At the dock in 1882 were shops and services where Walter Pengelley was the dockmaster ; John Buckland, milk seller ; T. J. Williams, optician ; W. D. John, chemist ; D. Guy and Son, greengrocers ; T. B. Clode, builder, and Davies and Sons, ship chandlers.

The total quantity of coal and coke shipped in 1883 was 2,274,003 tons which was 292,556 tons more than the previous year. The highest week's exports for the year was 51,200 tons ; the highest day's exports 11,396 tons, and the most shipped at any one tip in a day was 2,155 tons. The average weekly export was 43,581 tons. [1168]

Although by 1870 Penarth Dock was exporting 28% of the total coal brought down by the T.V.R. this was not because Penarth was undercutting Cardiff dock rates. This could not be done because of the House of Lords judgement in 1863 which found that, based upon the agreement made in 1849 between Bute and T.V.R., the Taff Vale Railway Company would be guilty of breach of faith if they charged lower rates at Penarth, but Cardiff's loss of trade to Penarth was considerable.

It was because of the increasing demand for Welsh coal and shipping space which Penarth's efficient combined railway and dock supplied. Yet the dock was just an export dock.

"Despite the T.V.R. Company's anxiety to have a dock under a its control, the venture brought little profit. The return barely rose above 4%, and in 1880, when Penarth made a loss, the company's chairman noted ; 'The undertaking has always been a sort of incubus upon the company'." [1170]  

Despite the "Nightmare" the T.V.R. decided to extend Penarth Dock and in 1880 they sought Parliamentary powers to make the enlargement they had considered in November 1862.