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

Although Messrs Cochran had promised the dock gates for the expected opening on 1st July 1864 Mr. Dobson, after visiting their works, reported that "the progress being made with the Dock Gates was so unsatisfactory that, if not accelerated, the gates will not be in time to admit of the Dock being opened for traffic this year. [1162] [2/5/1864]

The Directors were becoming more worried and in August 1864 Mr. Dobson was authorised to go to Dudley and to offer Messrs Cochran £7,000 on account if they would put more men on the fabrication of the Dock Gates, and as a result of this visit Cochran and Company promised to put five or six sets of rivetters on the work.

In November 1864 Cochran and Company complained that the delay in completing the masonry work at the dock was impeding the erection of the gates. This was denied by Mr. Dobson. Again in January the Directors complained that the gates had still not been erected though they had been promised for the 24th December 1864.

In April 1865 a further letter was sent to Cochran and Company complaining of delay. This seems to have had some effect because on 15th May 1865 the Directors said that the deck would be opened at High Water, 7 a.m. on the 10th June 1865. The dock took six years to build.

The dock was opened on Saturday 10th June 1865, and the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian reported in the paper of Friday, 16th June 1865 : -

"Saturday was, to the inhabitants of Penarth, one of unusual bustle and excitement. At 5 o'clock two Companies of the Cardiff Artillery Volunteers, under the command of Lieut. Col. Hill, mustered at the Town Hall, and headed by four heavy guns, marched to Penarth to celebrate the event by the usual booming of cannon. At 6 o’clock the "Kate" left the Cardiff Pierhead, with a crowded deck, the sun shone out with unwonted brilliancy, and the scene on the water was exceedingly picturesque. At Penarth, the Pierhead was profusely decorated with flags of all Nations and bunting of all descriptions was streaming in the wind from the new Custom Houses, the Dockmaster’s House, the coal staithes, and from every point in the dock where flags could be suspended were seen the Union Jack and other national emblems. By 7.30 hundreds of persons had assembled at the Pierhead and along both sides of the dock.