Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - A History of Penarth Dock by Roy Thorne . . .

The Act to build the railway from Radyr and to make coal tipping places on the north east bank of the River Ely near its estuary received Parliamentary approval in July 1856. "The Ely Tidal Harbour and Railways Act 1856” also authorised the T.V.R. and the Company to enter into Agreements for the use and working of the T.V.R. of the intended railway.

A Committee of Works was appointed by the Board consisting of Mr. Powell, Mr. John Batchelor, Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Nixon. Mr. Hawkshaw of London was appointed Consulting Engineer. [1162] [8/9/1856]

In December 1856 tenders were submitted for the construction of the harbour works and the branch railway. Two prices were quoted according to whether the embankments were to be formed of material from the "site of a future dock” [1162] [December 1856]  or from side cutting. Messrs Rennie & Company's tenders of ; ”£91,000 if evacuation not required to be so taken,” were accepted.

The Board were now confident enough to construct a ”wet dock” to give better facilities than a tidal harbour and in 1856 they applied for powers to build a dock. In 1857 "The Penarth Harbour Dock and Railway Act” authorised the changing of the company's name to "The Penarth Harbour Dock and Railway Company” ; a railway from the railway authorised in 1856 to the south-west bank of the River Ely at Cwtch-y-Cwm ; a dock on the south west side of the River Ely between Cogan Pill and an Inn at Penarth known as Penarth Head Inn.

Cwtch-y-cwm probably refers to the small house nestling under the shelter of Penarth Head west of Penarth Head Inn shown on the 1847 Tithe Map. It was at that place that the railway line eventually terminated to serve the tips in the dock basin. The name is derived from the Welsh ”cwtsh”, or Middle English "couche”, meaning in this case a small house nestling under the bottom of the bank near the estuary. This may well have been the Custom Officers station during the 18th century.

James Hemingway was placed by Messrs Rennie in charge of the Ely Harbour works although he was almost 23 years of age. He was a member of the Hemingway Family of Dewsbury and Cardiff who were masons and contractors. [1165]