Volume Two - The Era of Optimism, Investment & Development - The gridiron and slipway of the Penarth Shipbuilding & Ship Repairing Co. . . .

	There appears to be very few photographs of the gridiron and slipway of the Penarth Shipbuilding & Ship Repairing Company Limited facilities in existence. This rather grainy ariel image from the 1920's and the O.S. map of c.1900, previously referenced, provides the best indication of the extent of the undertaking at the site. The slipway was closed in 1923.
	About halfway along the length of the dock on the Ely Tidal Harbour side is a long rectangular structure. This is the Penarth Slipway and Gridiron. The gridiron was constructed of massive greenheart timbers, 375 feet (114m) long and could take vessels of 3,000 tons for maintenance such as cleaning, painting and propeller replacement etc.

The Institute of Mechanical Engineers stated in its proceedings for 1884 that 'The Penarth Ship Slipway was opened in May 1879, and is capable of hauling up ships of 4000 to 5000 tons burthen.' For information greenheart wood originates in Guyana and is twice as strong in bending and compression as oak and 50% heavier.

The colourised image [000] [002] left, shows the “Mary Cory” on the gridiron at Bristol docks and provides us with a good indication of how the structure was used to support the keel of the ship and how it permitted access to the underside of the hull at low water. The limitation was of course, time and tide, which apparently, wait for no man, since there was a short window of opportunity to undertake repair work on the hull below the waterline. Note Brunel's Clifton suspension bridge across the Avon gorge in the rear of the image.