Volume Six - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - Select Aspects - Various dock schemes which failed . . .

The name River Ely is a dimunitive or corruption of Afon Elai the “Mud River” according to Smyth and the 1830 OS map names it appropriately the “Elyooze” after it rounds Penarth Head! Smythe continues:

“Another mare’s nest (an illusionary or worthless discovery) of the “Crammers” (those selected for Government administrative posts by examination or interview and not by patronage) was, the probability that I had seen a report made by Mr. Telford; and many questions were asked on that head, - but I most assuredly never had. In point of fact, that would have led to nothing, unless his opinions had chimed with mine; for so sensible a man would no more have disputed a nautical point with me, than I would have wrangled on the catenary curve and suspension power with him.

I examined into the question which has been much mooted, viz., as to the preferable site for a new port-the Cardiff Moors to the East, or the Cogan Pil to the West of the estuary formed by the rivers of the Taff and Ely. I therefore made numerous inquiries, consulted various plans, and closely examined the locality. The opinion I arrived at, was totally unbiased and disinterested; as for the whole of both sites was shown to me as the property of the Marquess, or such as an Act of Parliament would give power over, I quite naturally considered it a matter of indifference which side might be adopted . . . .

On going over to Cogan Pil, I saw at once, that it was no place of refuge for a vessel of any magnitude to run for in bad weather, as had been erroneously represented to me. This arises from several irremediable causes, which are soon obvious to the seamen’s eye, and will be alluded to presently. But the first and principal reason of my rejecting it, was its unfitness for the commerce of the country. This will strike any competent person the instant he looks at it; and I venture to say, that it is a point on which nineteen out of twenty nautical men would concur; nor is there any good reason why they should not be unanimous.”

He states that the River Ely tides run at four or fives knots with a rise and fall of 32 feet (9.8m) and at the Cogan Pill and there is a danger of ships being shut in there as well as obvious difficulties of sailing any ship around Penarth Head, into the River Ely with its narrow channels and turning into the Pill which consideration to the wind strength and direction, the state of flow of the tide and the time of the tide such as at night. Then there are questions about towing ships in and out using equine or mechanical horse power, both of which were rejected for practical reasons.