1884 - Standing at the Pierhead with Penarth Head and the tower of St. Augustine's Church distant, we view the entrance channel to the Bute Docks. The straightened and widened channel is a fine memorial to those fearless, stout-hearted, pilots and to the victory of common sense over indifference. Well done lads! The photograph is borrowed from John Hutton's wonderful 'History of Cardiff Docks' - Volume 2 [475] and was apparently taken at 1.00 p.m. on 26th May 1884 about 3 hours prior to high tide.

A dredger with steam tug and tender are stage-centre with a pilot boat heading for the pierhead. The Low-water Pier with its lighhouse adjacent marks the channel with buoys at the extent of the Penarth Flats on the other side. This OS map was first surveyed in 1876-79, revised in 1898-99 and re-published in 1901. [398]