Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - Report upon Penarth Dock - 1984 . . .

Figure 1b - The site when Penarth Dock was first opened in 1865. The overall form of the dock consisted of a half-tide basin connected to the sea via a sea entrance and a main dock connected to the half-tide basin via a lock. (Appendix D discusses half-tide basins and their uses)

The overall dock has a slightly curved layout and this was probably done in order to keep as much of the main excavation work within the low-lying foreshore area. Indeed only the extreme south side of the dock and basin were excavated from the higher ground.

However, considerable excavation was necessary in order to clear an area for the construction of sidings and other facilities on the south side of the main dock. This entire area was excavated from the hillside and the material used to surround the site to prevent it from flooding and also to form a basis for reclaiming the area on the north side of the site which was to used for a hydraulic power station, a warehouse and other facilities.

In addition a large area was cleared to the west of the main excavation in order to facilitate the proposed construction of a graving dock. An entrance for the graving dock was constructed in the west wall of the dock only to be demolished in 1884 to make way for the extension of the main dock.

When it was completed the dock consisted of a half-tide basin 330 feet wide, 400 feet long with an area of about 3 acres and a main dock 2100 feet long, 370 feet wide with an area of about 17½ acres. The lock was 270 feet long, 60 feet wide with an area of about 1 acre. The depth of water over the cills of both the sea entrance and the lock was 35 feet at Spring tides and 25 feet at Neap tides. Nine stone jetties were sited in the main dock and these were used to support ten coal tipping appliances. In addition two coal tipping appliances were sited on the south side of the basin.

Both the lock and sea entrance were equipped with two pairs of iron gates of a type known as "gothic arched". The gates were opened and closed by sets of chains operated by hydraulic machinery. This was a somewhat novel idea at the time since the gates at the Bute Docks at Cardiff were hand operated.