Penarth, Glamorgan

Description
Penarth, a seaport and a parish in Glamorgan. The seaport adjoins Penarth Head, 4 miles S of Cardiff; is practically a suburb and a sub-port of Cardiff; communicates, by a branch of the TaffVale railway, with the railways at Cardiff; and has stations at Penarth and Penarth Dock. Penarth was a mere village till 1865, when the docks were constructed for the export of coal. The harbour and docks are now owned by the Taff Vale railway. The dock was enlarged in 1884, and covers an area of 28 acres; its length is 2900 feet, and its width 370 feet. The lock is 270 feet long and 60 wide, has a Seagate 60 feet wide, and a depth of 35 feet over the sill at spring tides. The basin is 400 feet long and 330 wide, and has an area of 3 acres. Coal is shipped in enormous quantities both from the harbour and from the docks. Coke, patent fuel, and ironwork are also exported. The chief imports are iron and iron ore, timber, pitwood, and bricks. The parish comprises 861 acres of land and 18 of water, with 15 of adjacent tidal water and 234 of foreshore; population of the civil parish, 9632; of the ecclesiastical, with Lavernock,9710. Penarth is a rapidly growing place. It is united with Llandough-juxta-Penarth and Cogan, under the government of an urban district council, is a seat of petty sessions, and has a coastguard station, a custom-house, a dock office, a mercantile marine office, a head post office, and a police station. The church of St Augustine, erected on Penarth Head in 1866 by Lady Windsor, is a handsome cruciform .edifice in the Early English style. The living is a rectory, with that of Lavernock annexed, in the diocese of Llandaff; gross value, £392 with residence. Patron, Lord Windsor. All Saints is a chapel of ease erected in 1891. There are Roman Catholic, Baptist, Calvinistic Methodist, Congregational, and Wesleyan chapels. An art gallery, called Turner House, was built by Mr Thompson in 1888, and is open to the public on certain days. The Windsor Gardens are public pleasure-grounds extending about a quarter of a mile above the top of the cliff. A weekly newspaper is published. Lord Windsor is lord of the manor.