It’s a sign: Penarth

I haven’t published a blog about signs for a while so, without further ado, here are some I’ve seen on my local exercise walks.

Dogs must be led
To mark the passing of 117 years since its opening, I blogged about Penarth’s Alexandra Park back in June 2019. This sign, mandating that ‘dogs must be led’, can be found on one of the park’s main entrance gates. I’m not sure if the sign is as old as the park or, indeed, what dog control bylaws were in place in 1902. Regardless of the instruction, or the current bylaws, almost every dog owner ignores this sign and allows their dog (or dogs) to roam at will. This may surprise readers in other countries, as it also surprised me when I first moved to Britain from New Zealand, where dog control laws are much stricter and more tightly policed.     

Do not cut bait on the decking
I also blogged about the opening of Penarth’s pier on its anniversary, this time the 124th anniversary (Penarth: the opening of the pier, April 2019), though this is, of course, a much more recent sign. Fishing off the pier is actually banned during the summer months of June, July and August, and, at other times, is restricted to specified areas but, even there, it seems the anglers have been damaging the wooden boards with their knife work, hence the need for this sign. It’s not one I’ve seen anywhere else.

Dangerous cliffs. Keep away
I rather like the contrast between these new and old signs, warning those who dare to walk along the shore beneath the Penarth Head cliffs, of the danger of falling rocks. Unfortunately, despite plenty of visual evidence of recent rock falls and even, in places, the sound of constantly falling pebbles, many people ignore these signs and walk far closer to the bottom of the cliffs than is healthy.

As you can see, the old sign also warns the unwary of being caught by the high tides. This should also not be ignored, as the Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world, at between 12 and 14 metres, and there is literally nowhere to go if you get caught below these cliffs when the tide is at its highest extent. 

I find it particularly interesting that, while both signs give their warnings in English and Welsh, the old sign also repeats the message in French. Were the majority of tourists visiting Penarth in times past of French origin, or were the locals expecting an invasion?

Hedgehog crossing area
I definitely approve of signs like this, warning vehicle users to be aware of animals, of all kinds, crossing roads, though in this case the sign seems rather superfluous. 

It’s at the blocked end of a little-used lane, where at most two residents’ cars would pass. Also, the gate to which it’s attached doesn’t have a hole at the bottom for hedgehogs to pass under and into the garden beyond. 

Perhaps the residents just want to show their general appreciation of and support for any hedgehogs that happen to be passing. Can hedgehogs read, I wonder?

Cardiff art: Three Ellipses

If you’ve ever walked over the Cardiff Bay Barrage, you might have noticed splotches of yellow paint, seemingly splattered randomly around the lock area, under your feet, on parts of railings and halves of benches, partially covering life buoys, swiped across fixtures and fittings. It’s really quite bizarre!

As well as being the colour of sunshine and warmth, yellow is also a colour of caution, warning of the need to be careful, to take safety precautions, so painting surfaces yellow can indicate trip hazards, concealed danger, potential obstacles. But that doesn’t seem to be the case here.

The colour yellow is also known for its high visibility, which is why it’s often used on road safety signage, on ambulances, police vehicles and fire engines. The colour can be seen, the painted shapes recognised from a distance. Now maybe we’re getting closer to an explanation of the Barrage blotches?

There’s only one way to solve this mystery, and that’s to stand in one specific spot on the Barrage near the locks and look seaward. Only then can you see, in its entirety, the amazing artwork that is Three Eclipses for Three Locks.

The brainchild of Swiss artist, Felice Varini, who specialises in optical illusional artworks, this piece was painted on the Barrage in March 2007, by a team that included professional mountain climbers to paint the less accessible spaces. I love it for the way it challenges the mind of the viewer to figure out and complete the fragmented puzzle but I do think it’s time the Cardiff Harbour Authority repainted it. It would be a great shame, and a huge waste of the initial cost of £25,000, if this piece was allowed to fade into obscurity.

Llandough: inside St Dochdwy’s

I’ve blogged before about St Dochdwy’s Church in Llandough, the exterior of the church (Llandough: St Dochdwy’s Church, 3 April 2020) and, a few days later, the magnificent Irbic cross in the church yard (Llandough: the Irbic cross). At that stage, I hadn’t been inside the church but, recently, completely by chance, I had the opportunity to have a brief look inside and to grab some quick photos.

Completed in 1866, by Penarth builder David Jones to a design by Bristol architect Samuel Charles Fripp, the current church incorporates elements of the previous church on this site, in particular ‘the original Norman Chancel arch, which now links the south aisle to the bell tower’ (as per the St Dochdwy’s website).   

 An article from the Cardiff Times, 13 July 1866, reports on the opening of this new church:

RE-OPENING OF LLANDOUGH NEW CHURCH.

The consecration of the church at Llandough, near this town, which has recently been rebuilt and enlarged, took place yesterday (Thursday). A large and highly respectable congregation was present, and it was with difficulty that sufficient accommodation could be provided for the worshippers. The new church was built in consequence of the old one being too small for the requirements of the increasing population, and the rebuilding was principally brought about through the exertions of the rector, the Rev. H. H. K. Rickards, and Mr. R. E. Spencer. The new edifice has been erected on the east side of the old church. The design belongs to the decorative period of Gothic architecture. Both externally and internally it has a good effect. The chancel arch of the old church has been restored and used in the new building. The church is built of Leckwith stone, lined with bricks, and freestone is used for the windows, doorways, and pillars. There is a conspicuous tower, and the church being on elevated ground, it is visible from a great distance. The principal entrance is to the west, and immediately opposite the altar, over which is a large stained memorial window, to the late Rev. James Evans and his son the Rev. Charles Evans. Two fine freestone pillars on either side support the aisle arches and open stained wood roof. The side windows are also ornamented with stained glass. The pews are of stained wood and without doors. In the course of time, should further accommodation be required, this can be provided by taking down the west wall. The cost of the re-building is £2,600, all of which has been subscribed with the exception of £500. Mr. Fripp, of Bristol, was the architect, and Mr. David Jones, of Penarth, the builder ...

When I entered the church, my eye was immediately drawn to the design of its brickwork, a stunning example of ‘the decorative period of Gothic architecture’ referred to in the newspaper report. This polychromatic brickwork is very similar to that inside Penarth’s St Augustine’s Church, designed by renowned architect William Butterfield, though it is not believed to be Butterfield’s work.   

The church also features some beautiful stained glass windows, including a 5-light traceried window in the west front wall, though I didn’t have time to examine the many windows closely. And I’m sure there are other features that will repay a second visit, when the current pandemic restrictions allow that to happen.

Cardiff art : Cader Idris

I’ve sat and eaten my lunch on it, I’ve sheltered in its lee from driving wind and rain, but it was only recently that I finally found out more about this hulking artwork.

This is Cader Idris, a sculpture that was first sited in the large square outside Cardiff Central Station in 1999 but was moved ten years later to Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve. As the English section of the inscription on the plaque adjacent to the sculpture reads:

The mountains, lakes and valleys of Wales have inspired this sculpture, and in particular Cader Idris, in Snowdonia.

Naturally, many Welsh poets have found similar inspiration and it is those verses which reflect this subject that have been chosen here. All of them are by Welsh poets and in their original language, be it Welsh or English. The englyn is a unique verse form characterised by the particular setting of the lines. Four englynion are included in this selection, and the one by Rhys Dafis was especially composed for this sculpture.

At this point I was somewhat confused by the references to poetry inscriptions as I hadn’t noticed any – more on that below.

Cader Idris was created by William Pye, a London-born artist who studied sculpture at the Royal College of Art from 1961 to 1965, and has since taught and exhibited his work in museums and art galleries around the world. Although the design and dimensions of the Cardiff work were very much influenced by the Welsh mountains, Pye writes that many of his other creations have been inspired ‘by the extraordinary qualities of water and [he is] fascinated by the natural laws of hydrostatics and how these can be manipulated.’ Some of you may have seen the magnificent font he created for Salisbury Cathedral in 2008, or perhaps you’ve seen the shimmering Slipstream as you’ve passed through Gatwick Airport’s north terminal, or you may have encountered Chalice, within the precincts of 123 Buckingham Palace Road in London. Pye is a prolific creator and the list of his works is a long one.   

Returning to Cader Idris, Pye writes that his inspiration came partly from a painting of the mountain by Richard Wilson (1714-82), which Pye says ‘has been a particular favourite of mine since my schooldays and holidays in Wales. This painting has inspired me to create a number of sculptures, the Cader Idris Series.’      

Cader Idris is 13 feet (4 metres) tall and made from a combination of Woodkirk sandstone and Welsh blue pennant slate, which the sculptor explains as follows on his website: ‘Water is inferred at the centre of the structure where the darker pennant stone represents a cwm (circular lake) at the foot of an escarpment.’ Pye goes on: ‘The bronze element of the sculpture suggests a rock outcrop and is set with verses in Welsh and English, all by Welsh poets.’

Now I was even more confused, as it seems I had missed both poetry inscriptions and the ‘bronze element’, so I returned to the sculpture for another look. Still nothing. Then, after much searching, I discovered that the artwork was altered when it was moved. When it was located in central Cardiff, it had a small step built into one side and, more importantly, there was an additional rectangular piece adjacent to the stone ‘mountain’, a piece that was made of bronze and that had the poetry, the englyns, inscribed on one side. (There’s a photo of the original artwork on the VADS website here.)   

I haven’t been able to find any explanation for why the artwork was altered. Nor have I discovered what happened to the ‘bronze element’. To my eye, though Cader Idris still has a significant visual impact in its new setting, the piece has been diminished and much of its meaning obscured by the loss of the 'outcrop' and its poetry, and that seems a great shame.

Under my feet : Mt Stuart Ship Repairing Yard marker

Under my feet today is a marker I walked over many times before, after deciding to pay more attention to what was ‘under my feet’, I stopped to read what it said and take photographs.

The plaque reads, in English and Welsh: ‘The granite setts show the line of the dockwall and the entrance to the former Mount Stuart Ship Repairing Yard : Mae’r sets ithfaen yn dangos llinell mur y doc a’r fynedfa i hen Iard Trwsio Llongau Mount Stuart’.

Cardiff had long been a port but it wasn’t until the early 19th century that it grew dramatically when the coal and iron trades increased rapidly to service the needs of the industrial revolution. Huge docks were constructed, starting with the Bute West Dock in 1839 and running right through to the Queen Alexandra Dock in 1907. And, though Cardiff never developed into an important shipbuilding location, it did become a major hub for ship repairing companies. 

In 1843, the Batchelor brothers, John and Sidney, moved from Newport to Cardiff to set up a ship repair yard. From their initial location on the banks of the River Taff, they moved six years later to the West Dock and then, several years after that, they opened the Mount Stuart Graving Dock. After the Batchelors’ operation went into liquidation in 1873, their business was eventually sold to Sir John Gunn, and the company became the Mount Stuart Ship Building, Graving Docks, and Engineering Company.

The 1882 sketch of the Mountstuart Dry Dock and Engineering Co’s Works, above left, is from William Turner’s publication The Port of Cardiff *. The photograph, above right, shows the three docks in use at a much later date, probably sometime in the mid 1900s (the image is not dated) **. Advertisements for the Mount Stuart company, dating from 1891-92 and 1895-6, can be seen on the Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History website.

 As you can see from the photograph above right, there are three docks, ranging in length from 430 feet (131 metres) to 543 feet (165 metres): Coflein, the online database for the National Monuments Record of Wales, gives the exact measurements, and details of how these changed over time.    

After the Cardiff Bay Barrage was completed in 2001 and the bay changed from a tidal harbour to a freshwater lake, the three Mount Stuart docks were flooded. Two remain empty but dock number 3 contains pontoons, used to moor small boats. The photographs below show dock number one as it currently looks.

* Image from Wikimedia Commons: Dated 1882. Accession no: British Library HMNTS 10369.cc.8. Image extracted from page 110 of The Port of Cardiff, by TURNER, William - Author of Custom Houses, an out-of-copyright book. Original held and digitised by the British Library. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/TURNER%281882%29_MOUNTSTUART_Dry_Dock_and_Engineering_Co%C2%B4s._Work.jpg

** Image from Wikimedia Commons:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Mount_Stuart_dry_docks_%28451103725%29.jpg

 

Note re the term ‘graving’: I was not familiar with this word when I started researching the Mount Stuart plaque so was fascinated to learn its meaning. If you’re interested, there’s a short explanation on the Wikimapia entry for Mount Stuart Graving Dock 3.