The grab dredger 'Mudeford' built for the GWR in the Netherlands in 1924. She was known affectionately as the Muddyford and was used at Penarth for dredging the mud banks away from the entrance to the sea locks and also could dredge close up by the quay wall.
David Jenkins, in his book 'Shipping at Cardiff' says that : - 'She would also make the occasional foray up the Taff to dredge at the pumping station for the timber pond below Penarth Road bridge; this involved opening the Clarence Road swingbridge, and the "Mudeford" was probably the last vessel for which this was done.' [095]
The dredgers 'Mudeford' and 'Graball' played their part during WWII by being utilised in the installation of an Admiralty Testing Range just off Lavernock Point. The objective of this facility was the testing of equipment intended to thwart magnetic mines. A recording station on-shore was connected to cables laid by the dredgers to off-shore sensors. Perhaps the fact that at the commencement of hostilities, the polarity of German magnetic mines was not known is the reason for this test range - see the explanation in the section about the White Funnel Fleet at War.
