Bute Shipbuilding, Engineering and Dry Dock Co

of Roath Basin, Cardiff

1883 The company was registered on 22 March.

1884 The Bute dry dock was built by the company at the southern corner of the Roath Basin. The iron gates for this new dock were also built at these works.

1885 First vessel entered the graving dock.

1886 'A Visit to a Cardiff Shipbuilding Firm. Attracted by the intelligence that the Bute Shipbuilding, Engineering, and Dry Dock Company had recently launched from their yard the new steamer built entirely of steel, I paid a visit to their works on Monday afternoon. The company fixed their habitation in a remarkably well-chosen position. As I stood in the comfortable office tenanted by Mr H. G. Farrell, the courteous and affable secretary to the company, I could not help being strongly impressed by the admirable facilities for obtaining and executing orders of any magnitude at the disposal of that portion of the vast concern known as the Bute Dry Dock. The extensive view obtained from the office window afforded a typical illustration of our maritime supremacy as a nation, which was striking in the extreme. In the immediate foreground is the Roath Basin, out of which extends the new Roath Dock, whilst away to the left the Bute East Dock curves into the dim distance until its outline is merged in a forest of masts, rendered still more indistinct by the clouds of smoke curling upwards from the funnels of apparently countless steamers. Behind this picture of commercial life and activity lies a misty panorama of Cardiff, veiled, however, in the present instance from ordinary observation by a slight drizzling rain. The shipbuilding yard, situated on the river Taff, was originally projected by Messrs Scott, Russell, and Company, the eminent engineers, about seventeen years ago. The premises afterwards passed into the hands of Maudsley Brothers, who were again succeeded by the well-known shipowners, Morel Brothers. A spacious foundry and engineering works, situated at Treherbert, together with the Bute Dry Dock and adjacent works (then in course of construction), were all the property of this firm but in 1883 they decided to transfer their sole interest to a limited company. A share list was issued, the bulk of the shares remaining in the hands of the vendors, and the subscribed capital amounted to £ 175,000. A special clause provided that the Dry Dock should be handed over to the company when completed. Since that date everything has progressed smoothly and evenly, and it speaks well for the managerial ability displayed by the company that even in the present depressed state of trade generally they have always managed to obtain constant and remunerative contracts. The single element of unpleasantness in this, so far, prosperous and thriving record is the heavy ground-rent demanded by the Marquis of Bute for the privilege of building splendid works upon what was previously a desert waste of stones and mud. This, combined with the wretched leases granted to all who require them, being limited to such a short period as 83 years under the most restrictive and arbitrary conditions, constitutes a genuine grievance felt by all trades alike in Cardiff, and one which has done much towards driving away lucrative industries to other more favourable situations. This anomaly is rendered, in the present instance, more glaring from the fact that on the other side of the river a similar company has obtained a 250 years' lease for double the area, and at one-quarter of the cost. Here, however, the lord of the manor was Lord Windsor. Having thus indulged in an historical retrospect, I will now proceed to give some faint idea of the work executed by the company, which is so varied and exhaustively minute in all its branches that any order whatever relative to marine shipbuilding and engineering can be undertaken and carried out with almost unrivalled despatch. Accompanied by Mr Farrell, who proved to be a remarkably well informed guide, I first visited the neighbouring dry dock, which, even to the unscientific observer, presented an appearance of vast dimensions and great resource. A continuous clang of heavy hammers wielded by the workmen resounded from the sides of the vessels undergoing repairs, proving most indubitably that Vulcan is still represented by worthy descendants. Six hundred feet long, by eighty-seven in width, this majestic dock is easily capable of holding four large vessels at the same time, and on one occasion recently there were 7,000 tons of shipping collected within its precincts. By an ingenious caisson arrangement the dock can be divided into two compartments, the dimensions of which may be regulated according to the size of the vessels accommodated, and these divisions are capable of being independently filled with water or emptied, as may be desirable or necessary. The deck opens into the Roath Basin through gates, which have been admired by many eminent engineers, and so commodious and far-seeing it the general plan that vessels can be admitted for repairs at any time of the night or day from the neighbouring docks and basin. At the moment of my visit two fine steamers were being re- paired by the skilled hands of the company's workmen. One of these was the Glenbernie, owned by Messrs Lindsay and Gracie, of Newcastle, which was receiving a new coating of about 60 plates, besides other improvements. The other, a larger ship, entitled the Countess, of Sunderland, was also docked for extensive repairs. In addition the Llangorse was expected that evening. The dock-gates and capstans art worked by hydraulic power, under a special arrangement with the Bute Docks' authorities. The capacious "smithy," and really magnificent fitting-shops next underwent inspection, the latter in particular calling for particular commendation on account of their finished detail, everything necessary for good and speedy work being there present. Beyond this were the open sheds, where the heavier and rougher work of bending, punching, and cutting the ships' plates was performed, the machinery here again being of the latest and most improved patterns. In this section were situated two boilers supplying the motive power to a beautiful engine built by Maudsley Brothers, and this, again, drives every lathe and crank in the establishment. Finally, close to the gates we examined the pumping engines, a set of powerful machinery supplied by Messrs Hick, Hargreaves and Co., engineers, Bolton. These engines, when exerted to their full powers, have emptied the vast dock in forty minutes, and thus the company can always obtain a supply or water from the Bute Docks' excecutive as it can be so speedily returned. But inexorable space is beginning to tell, and I must rush off to other scenes. One fact before I depart, however — during twelve months this dock has berthed for repairs over 200 vessels. The Bute Shipbuilding, Engineering, and Foundry Docks are, as I before stated, situated on the river Taff, and may be reached by a quarter-of-an-hour's walk from the dock. Covering an area of nearly four acres, and possessing a river frontage of 500 feet, combined with an unsurpassed position for safely launching vessels, they may be regarded as second to no other- not even the old-established firms of the north-east coast, A large jetty affords a safe resting-place for vessel,- requiring repairs to hull or machinery. There are at present slips for four vessels, and these are of such a size that a steamer 400 feet in length could be built in any of them. It is quite beyond my power to deal here separately with the large and various shops, sheds, and other buildings. Suffice it to say that they are unique in their efficient completeness, a fact that is, perhaps, fully accounted for when it is learnt that the whole of the machinery was erected under the supervision of Mr H. W. Lewis, general manager and consulting engineer to the company. In the steam-hammer shed forgings up to ten tons can be executed. On the east side of the works flows the Glamorgan Canal, and the Great Western Railway service opens right into the yard, so that, taking into consideration the close proximity of iron and steel works, together with the obvious advantage of being favourably situated in a town like Cardiff, there cannot fall to be a future of great scope before this department of the industry. Before leaving this section, I asked Mr Farrell how much per ton a shipbuilding firm could turn out a vessel for now a-days. "Well, he replied, bearing in mind that the present price of steel-plates averages about £6 10s per ton, and that the distance from, say Landore to Cardiff, being trivial, would render the railway charges comparatively slight, I should say that from £8 to £9 would be a remunerative figure for the builder, and would not press heavily upon the purchaser." How the shareholders in certain firms I know of in the North of England would groan at this when, but: two years ago, they were paying from £14 to £ 16 for the same class of vessel.
There now remain the Treherbert Works to be dealt with, and these may be briefly summarised as being situated on the Rhondda Branch of the Taff Vale Railway, in the immediate vicinity of several large collieries. And now to sum up the result of my observations. From the perusal of the foregoing sketch it will be perhaps granted that this company occupies a very prominent position in the role of our Cardiff industries. It is equally well served alike by sea and land. The Bute Railway circumvents the dry dock on all sides, and the Great Western runs into the shipbuilding yard. Presuming that they were all working full time, the yard would provide work for 1,200 men; the dry dock at present engages 500 employes, whose wages' bill last week was over 2850 while the Treherbert Works occupy 120 hands.'

By 1901 the works had been renamed Bute Shipbuilding and Engineering Works but had fallen into disuse.

1901 Bute Shipbuilding, Engineering and Dry Dock Co were Ironfounders.

1906 Continued to operate

What connection with Bute Shipbuilding and Engineering Works?

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