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

3.1 - Pitched Slopes

When the dock was originally built pitched slopes were constructed either side of the sea entrance and all along the south side of the main dock. When the dock was extended the south side of the main dock was continued using s pitched slope and also a pitched slope was used to construct the new west wall.

The pitched slope at the sea entrance was built to protect the entrance from damage by heavy seas which could have caused the entrance chamber to be undermined. It was most extensive to the north of the entrance where it was used to surround an area of land reclaimed from the original river foreshore.

Due to it's role as protection against the sea the pitched slope was particularly substantial around the general area of the sea entrance. It was constructed of massive stone blocks some two or three feet thick laid on a carefully prepared foundation material. The stones were laid with the aid of a portable steam crane which ran along temporary tracks at the top of the slope.

The south of the main dock used a pitched slope for a slightly different reason. Since this side of the main dock was intended for use in the exporting of coal using coal tipping appliances built on stone jetties extending into the main dock a continuous length of near vertical dock wall was not necessary and so a pitched slope was used instead.

The use of stone jetties which cause the main dock to have a jagged profile cause Penarth Dock to be considered as a 'machicolated dock' and enable vessels to be moored against the south side of the main dock in an overlapping arrangement.

Figure 6 - Sketch showing overlapping vessels loading coal.