Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - The River Ely Iron Ore Wharf . . .

In 1840, the quantity of ore imported at Cardiff was less than 2,000 tons. In 1845, the West Dock opened and 39,000 tons was imported. In 1850 it was 63,000, in 1855 68,000 and by 1860, 1,013,000 tons of ore were imported at Cardiff.

In 1888 the Dowlais Iron Company (Guests) obtained a lease from the Bute Estate upon extensive lands at East Moors, Cardiff, adjacent to the Bute East Dock and work commenced that same year. The ore supply at this time had been mostly superceded with Spanish ores and the Dowlais company together with the Ebbw Vale and Llandore concerns, owned, or had interests in, quarries near Bilbao, Spain. Dowlais became a partner in the Orconera Iron Ore Company Limited of Bilbao.

The general view that the migration of the industry from the northern outcrop area to the coastal regions was inevitable appears to be a misnomer ; the one notable exception being the proposed iron and steel-works at East Moors, Cardiff. However, Lord Wimbourne, the owner of Dowlais, decided for 'social reasons' to retain steel-making at the Dowlais works, Merthyr.

The Dowlais Cardiff Works at Cardiff East Moors - the O.S. map as revised 1898 to 1899 and published in 1901. [398]