Volume Eight - Pre-Victorian to the present day - more aspects - Sea Breezes Article 1983 - 'Penarth Dock of 35 years ago' . . .

With the changeover of coal to oil in some of the London power stations the decline of the flat iron collier fleets were inevitable. Today the few Thames coal-fired power stations are supplied by much larger ships coming down from the Tyne taking the place of the numerous 2,000 tonners of bygone days. I believe Barry Dock has just tow coal hoists left and I cannot be sure if these are ever in use.

The passing of the coal trade to London from Barry must have been a devastating blow to the ship repair business at Penarth. Perhaps the saddest sight to any seafarer must be a once fine dock being filled in with rubble and hardcore. Today Penarth Dock is no more. The entrance basin has at least become a useful yacht mooring facility with its permanently open seaward lock gates as if in symbolic gesture to all that has left Penarth Docks and Ely Harbour never to return again.' 'Sea Breezes' [290] December 1983