Volume Nine - Pre-Victorian to the present day - even more aspects - The Missions to Seamen at Penarth . . .

1878 - Traveling back in time the Cardiff Times ran the following article : -

The New Mission and Reading-Room at Penarth Dock - 'The new building in connection with the Mission to Seamen at Penarth Dock is just completed. It is a neat rectangular structure formed of white brick, with red brick dressing and with dark coloured tiles. It is two storeys high, the lower floor being divided into two rooms each 20 feet square - one is intended as an for ordinary seamen's room, and will be supplied with newspapers, &c., and opened as a public reading-room ; the other is intended for captains of vessels, or tradesmen of Penarth, who will pay a small annual subscription, the subscriptions from the captains being fixed at 1s (5p) for the period while the vessel remains in the port.

The upper room, which is 40 feet by 20, will be used by the chaplain at the Penarth station in connection with the Mission to Seamen, and Divine services will be held in it for the seamen in the Dock on Sundays and also on week evenings. It is intended that the building shall fill the same position at Penarth as the Thrisbe Mission ship at Cardiff. Attached to it are apartments for the manager, who will supply refreshments at a reasonable charge to seamen and captains.

The cost of the building, which was erected by Mr. Tape, builder, Penarth, is about £800, including furniture and fittings, which are of a rather handsome character. The cost of the building would have been considerably greater, but for the large contributions of materials, etc., from local merchants.