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

Details of the caisson are based on the caisson shown in figures 4, 5 and 6 in a paper entitled 'On Recent Extensions of Dock Accommodation and Coal-shipping Machinery at the Bute Docks, Cardiff', dated August 1884 and published in 'Proceedings of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers'. This caisson was fitted to the Public Graving Dock at Cardiff and is shown merely as the type of caisson which might have been used at Penarth.

Figure 9

This figure is one of the few illustrations known to originate from the original plans of Penarth Dock. The figure was copied from an illustration appearing in 'Docks and Harbours' by L. F. Vernon-Harcourt and labelled at Plate 14, figure11.

Originally it was represented to a scale of 1:"00, however, for the sake of clarity it has been copied to a scale of 1:100. (please note it is not at this scale on this website) The illustration in the book was based on the plans of the dock lent to Vernon-Harcourt by J. C. Hawkshaw, the engineer responsible for Penarth Dock. [correction: J. C. Hawkshaw was perhaps confused with John Clarke Hawkshaw, born 1841, who was involved in the dock extension of 1884 - the engineer responsible for Penarth Dock at that date was his Dad, always simply referred to as John Hawkshaw; until, that is, when it became Sir John!]

It is worth pointing out that the original illustration shows the difference between H.W.O.S.T. and H.W.O.N.T. to be about 6 feet. This does not agree with other sources and Vernon-Harcourt mentions this in his book but no attempt has been made to correct the illustration. Figure 9 shows the correct figure of approximately 10 feet.

Figure 10

This figure originates from the same source as figure 9 and so the details will not be repeated. However, for clarification purposes it should be noted that the figure represents a cross-section through the centre of the arch.

Figures 11a and 11b

Figures 11a and 11b are based upon information from an article and drawings published in 'The Engineer' and dated September 24th 1909.