Cardiff Bay Barrage

Last Sunday we woke to a cold dry and sunny day and looked out over Cardiff Bay to discover a small coaster entering the Queen Alexander Dock.

Ship entering the Queen Alexander Lock, Cardiff just after dawn
(Barrage in the foreground with Flat Holm and Steep Holm Islands in the background)

 I took to my Ship Finder App to discover it was the 2,600 tonne RMS Neudorf. The ship has now left Cardiff and is on its way to Rotterdam. It is currently off the Isle of Wight but last night was off Plymouth.


Before we left Cardiff we visited the barrage. On a sunny but cold Sunday morning it was busy with walkers, runners and cyclists. We walked to the exhibition about Captain Scott and his polar exploration colleagues. 


The barrage is an impressive structure and has three impressive locks. One was out of action for maintenance. 

Lift Bridges

Lock Gates

The wind was rising and the sea became quite rough. It was one of those occasions when you leaned into the wind walking one direction and then got blown back.

A choppy Bristol Channel

We then moved on to Penarth for a breezy walk along the promenade and the pier as the tide went out. 

Penarth Pier

Penarth was the scene of my first rowing (actually coxing) success. In 1959 I coxed a Llandaff  Rowing Club Senior four to win the regatta. My abiding memories of this sea regatta was how carefully you had to steer the boat under the pier when racing and celebrating our win with a drink in my commemorative half-pint mug using Vimto - I was only 12 years old! I still treasure the pewter mug - good prizes in those days. The oarsmen (as they were called) won pints and of course celebrated with beer - possibly Brains or Hancocks).


Sea anglers on a cold morning at Penarth

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