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

The Cardiff Town Council tried to collect Town Dues on ships using the Penarth Harbour Works. They claimed an immemorial right, but the Penarth Harbour Dock and Railway Company refused to recognise this claim, and after fruitless efforts to collect these Dues the Town Council abandoned their claim.

On the 12th February 1859 tenders for the dock were considered and the contract was let to Messrs Smith and Knight, "subject to Messrs Smith and Knight taking £20,000 in shares." [1162] [12/2/1859] The contract was sealed in May 1859, and work on the dock had started by the following August.

The dock was built on the northerly side of the headland protected from the prevailing westerly winds, and fitting into the natural curve made by the River Ely. Smith and Knight were allowed to put in railway points to give them access to Radyr Quarry to obtain stone for the dock.

The north side of the dock was made slightly convex to preserve a uniform width, and provision was made to extend the dock westward. This was eventually done in 1884.

The lock between the dock proper and the Basin was 270 feet long and 60 feet wide. Between the Basin and the sea was a sea gate 60 feet wide. The depth of water at ordinary spring tides was 35 feet and at ordinary neap tides, 25 feet. At high water the gates could be opened from the dock to the sea, this avoiding the ship being taken through locks.