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

A series of witnesses, for (the 'Coganites'), and those against the Cogan Pill scheme, who were in favour of the Cardiff Docks development, were cross-examined by Smyth. Finally, common sense and the practicalities of masters of sailing ships and their knowledge of the seas prevailed. The conclusion was that the Cogan Pill harbour development was impractical, so it was overruled and the scheme died. It seems that Brunel had underestimated or not considered many critical limitations of navigation into, and out of the Pill, including the wind and tidal extremes which sailing ships would be subject too.

The coal trade grew and the Ely Tidal Harbour Bill and the Penarth Harbour, Dock and Railway Acts of 1856 and 1857 were precursors to the construction of the Ely Tidal Harbour and Penarth Dock. Again trade grew progressively until 1873 when The John Batchelor Dock Scheme was proposed. The Cardiff Times ran this extensive article on the scheme in September.

1873 - "DOCK EXTENSION - We this day present our readers with a copy of a Memorial from the merchants of Cardiff to Lord BUTE and the Directors of the Taff Vale Railway Company, representing the necessity for further Dock accommodation at this port, and a lithograph of the plan suggested by Mr. JOHN BATCHELOR for supplying it. The importance of this Memorial cannot be overrated, as it is signed by nearly every one identified with the commercial interests of the port, and represents capital many times in excess of that invested in all our docks and the local railways in connection therewith. The statement respecting the inadequacy of our existing docks in relation to the present demand of our trade is so emphatic, that we need not dwell on the fact, but at once describe the plan which Mr. Batchelor has proposed, for not only meeting present exigencies, but also providing for the future increase of our commerce which the memorialists represent upon data within our own knowledge, as likely within three years to reach over two millions of tons in excess of what it is at present.

The main feature in Mr. Batchelor's scheme is, that it proposes to utilise the beds of existing streams, and to enclose within solid embankments the estuary formed by the Taff and Ely rivers, in contradistinction of the scheme presented to Parliament in 1866 by the Trustees of the Marquis of Bute, who proposed to convert the mud banks at the mouths of these rivers into docks, and leave their beds as useless for commerce as at present, at a cost, in proportion to the areas floated, enormously preponderating in favour of the scheme which is now receiving so much popular support.