Volume Nine - Pre-Victorian to the present day - even more aspects - Swing Bridge Connections : Penarth Dock, River Taff and Glamorganshire Canal . . .

The bridges which we have described were designed by Mr. Hawkshaw, and carried out under the joint superintendence of Mr. Hawkshaw and Mr. Samuel Dobson. The contractors for the bridges and road works were Messrs. C. de Bergue and Co., of Manchester and Cardiff.

I was extremely excited to stumble across this impressive and informative description of the 'Penarth Road Swing Bridges at Cardiff' combined with the very fine engravings which accompanied the text of the article published within the periodical 'Engineering' [520] on the 4th January 1867. [499] Further investigation revealed that the superb technical illustrations were drafted by Mr. John Henry Rimbault (1820-1888). His stylish trademark signature (below left) was included below Fig. 7. The advertisement published in 1866, confirms the identity of one 'Mr. J. H. Rimbault, Engraver to Engineering'. [016]

Returning to the Penarth Dock for a while ; the swing bridge referenced at the start of this chapter appears to be of identical construction as that set out in the foregoing detailed description. The Penarth Dock swing bridge was not built at the time of the dock opening in June 1865 and does not appear in dock plans until the OS maps published in the 1880's onwards.

To my best knowledge the earliest newspaper reference to this bridge dates from October 1878 when the Missions to Seamen building was opened by Lord Windsor. The article states 'The new building, which is situated near the swing bridge over the junction lock from the basin to the dock, . . . ' South Wales Daily News [325] [361] 21st October 1878.