Penarth Dock, South Wales - the heritage and legacy

Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - Witness to the Past [2023] . . .


A circa 1865 map showing twelve tips and the ballast wharf of the Ely Tidal Harbour plus the Dock and Basin south of the river. Note the two railway lines to the Basin coal tips. These were the railways, docks and harbours of the Taff Vale Railway Company. Interestingly, the dock is shown with thirteen tips and is extended in length to the 1883 layout. There were only ten tips in the 1865 dock layout. This was possibly an earlier scheme which was not fully realised. [049]
	1884 - Part of a French plan of Penarth Dock and the Ely Tidal Harbour indicating also that the railway connection to the two coal tips situated in the Basin are in place. [000] [002]

A section of Ballinger's TVR map of 1896 shows the coal tips numbers 1 and 2 in the Basin and the connecting railway lines. [000] [002] The tips were no longer indicated in the 1920 or 1923 GWR Track Plans.


1864 - Double drop in the basin. - A colourised enlargement of the two tips installed at the Basin under construction. [599] [archive ref : DXPD-6-8] [20170903]


In 1940, the S.S. 'Roebuck' was in Penarth Dock Basin prior to repair on the pontoon. Damage was sustained at St Valerry-En-Caux on 13th June during the evacuation of the 51st Highland Division who were part of the British Expeditionary Force at the time. It cost the lives of three of her crew and seriously injured two others. She was lightly armed with only the gun mounted (and clearly visible) at the stern for protection. The image has also been colourised. Note the retaining wall and the recesses for the coal tips which had been removed. [105] [106] [255]