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

Penarth Dock was finally opened on the morning of Saturday, 10th June 1865 with the formal ceremony being performed by Mr. James Poole, the chairman of the Taff Vale Railway Company.

2.3 - Extension work at Penarth Dock

During 1874 coal shippers and merchants using Penarth Dock approached the dock company to request that dock accommodation at Penarth be extended.

The only available land for a possible extension was the site of the proposed graving dock and since the dock company realised the importance of providing ship repairing facilities at Penarth Dock they were reluctant to allow this land to be used for extending the dock.

However, in 1879 a large slipway was opened on the south side of the river adjoining the dock. The slipway, capable of dry-docking vessels of 2,500 tons, obviated the need for a graving dock and so Parliamentary Powers were sought to extend the dock using the site of the proposed graving dock. These powers were granted in 1880 and Sir John Hawkshaw appointed as the engineer in charge of the work. In July of 1881 a preliminary survey of the site was made and work began later that year.

A considerable amount of excavation had to be done in difficult conditions with bad weather hampering the work. Excavation began at the extreme western end of the extension with the work progressing steadily eastwards towards the existing main dock. The extension was tapered towards its western end to avoid having to build out into the River Ely.

By September 1882 excavation was proceeding at the rate of 3,000 cubic yards a day, the total amount excavated up to that time being about 372,000 cubic yards. At the same time the dock wall was being built and a total of 10,000 cubic yards had been constructed. By February 1883 two thirds of the excavation had been completed and the greater part dock wall was ready for coping.

By the end of August 1883 construction of a cofferdam across the end of the existing dock had almost been completed and some ground prepared for the building of railway sidings and other facilities. By the end of 1883 work began on dismantling the existing west wall together with the adjoining graving dock entrance and in 1884 the extension was almost complete.