Tiger Bay: Difference between revisions
m →People |
revamp |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{mergefrom-multiple|Bute Docks|Queen Alexandra Dock|discuss=Tiger Bay#Merger proposal|date=February 2008}} |
|||
''This article relates to the place in [[Wales]], for other meanings see [[Tiger Bay (disambiguation)]].'' |
''This article relates to the place in [[Wales]], for other meanings see [[Tiger Bay (disambiguation)]].'' |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | '''Tiger Bay''' was the local name for an area of [[Cardiff]] which covered [[Butetown]] and [[Cardiff Dock]]s. It was re-branded as [[Cardiff Bay]] due to the building of the multi-million pound [[Cardiff Barrage]] which dams the tidal rivers [[River Ely|Ely]] and [[River Taff|Taff]] to create a body of water. |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | '''Tiger Bay''' was the local name for |
||
==History== |
==History== |
||
{{details|Cardiff Docks}} |
|||
The development of the [[Cardiff Dock]]s played a major part in [[Cardiff|Cardiff’s]] development by being the means of exporting [[coal]] from the [[South Wales Valleys]] to the rest of the world, helping to power the industrial age. The [[coal mining]] industry helped fund the building of [[Cardiff]] into the [[Capital city]] of [[Wales]] and helped the Third [[Marquis of Bute]], who owned the docks, become the richest man in the world at the time. |
|||
In 1794, the [[Glamorganshire Canal]] was completed, linking [[Cardiff]] with [[Merthyr]], and in 1798 a basin was built, connecting the [[canal]] to the sea. Increasing agitation for proper dock facilities led Cardiff's foremost landowner, [[John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute]], to promote the construction of the West Bute Dock, opened in October 1839. Just two years later, the [[Taff Vale Railway]] was opened. From the 1850s [[coal]] supplanted [[iron]] as the industrial foundation of [[South Wales]], as the [[Cynon Valley]] and [[Rhondda]] Valley were [[Mining|mined]]. |
In 1794, the [[Glamorganshire Canal]] was completed, linking [[Cardiff]] with [[Merthyr]], and in 1798 a basin was built, connecting the [[canal]] to the sea. Increasing agitation for proper dock facilities led Cardiff's foremost landowner, [[John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute]], to promote the construction of the [[Bute Dock|West Bute Dock]], opened in October 1839. Just two years later, the [[Taff Vale Railway]] was opened. From the 1850s [[coal]] supplanted [[iron]] as the industrial foundation of [[South Wales]], as the [[Cynon Valley]] and [[Rhondda]] Valley were [[Mining|mined]]. |
||
Exports reached 2 million tons as early as 1862, with the East Bute dock opening in 1859. In 1862, 2,000,000 tons of coal were exported from Cardiff Docks; by 1913, this had risen to 10,700,000 tons. Frustration at the lack of development at Cardiff led to rival docks being opened at [[Penarth]] in 1865 and [[Barry, Wales]] in 1889. These developments eventually spurred Cardiff into action, with the opening of the Roath Dock in 1887, and the Queen Alexandra Dock in 1907. By then, coal exports from the [[South Wales Coalfield]] via Cardiff totalled nearly 9 million tons per annum, much of it exported in the holds of locally-owned [[tramp steamer]]s. |
Exports reached 2 million tons as early as 1862, with the East Bute dock opening in 1859. In 1862, 2,000,000 tons of coal were exported from Cardiff Docks; by 1913, this had risen to 10,700,000 tons. Frustration at the lack of development at Cardiff led to rival docks being opened at [[Penarth]] in 1865 and [[Barry, Wales]] in 1889. These developments eventually spurred Cardiff into action, with the opening of the Roath Dock in 1887, and the [[Queen Alexandra Dock]] in 1907. By then, coal exports from the [[South Wales Coalfield]] via Cardiff totalled nearly 9 million tons per annum, much of it exported in the holds of locally-owned [[tramp steamer]]s. |
||
| ⚫ | By 1932, in the depths of the [[Great Depression]] which followed the [[1926 United Kingdom general strike]], coal exports had fallen to below 5 million tons and dozens of locally owned ships were laid-up. It was an era of depression from which Cardiff never really recovered, and despite intense activity at the port during the [[Second World War]], coal exports continued to decline, finally ceasing in 1964. |
||
==Steamships== |
|||
==Creation of Tiger Bay== |
|||
Cardiff's first steamship was the Llandaff of 1865, and by 1910, there were some 250 tramp steamers owned at Cardiff, by prominent firms such as [[Cory Environmental|Cory]], Morel, Radcliffe, Tatem and Reardon-Smith. Each day, the principals of these companies would meet to arrange cargoes of coal for their ships in the opulent [[Coal Exchange]] in Mount Stuart Square. This trade reached its pinnacle in 1913, when 10.7 million tons of coal were exported from the port. After the [[First World War]], there was a boom in shipping in Cardiff, with 122 shipping companies in existence in 1920. The boom proved short-lived, however; [[oil]] was growing in importance as a maritime fuel, and the terms of the [[Treaty of Versailles]] soon flooded Europe with cheap [[Germany|German]] reparation coal. |
|||
As Cardiff's coal exports grew, so did its population; dockworkers and sailors from across the world settled in neighbourhoods close to the docks, known as Tiger Bay from the fearce currents around the local tidal stretches of the [[River Severn]]. |
|||
Migrant communities from up to 45 different nationalities, including [[Norwegian people|Norwegian]], [[Somali people|Somali]], [[Yemen]]i, [[Spanish people|Spanish]], [[Italian people|Italian]], [[Caribbean]] and [[Irish people|Irish]] helped create the unique [[multicultural]] character of the area. |
|||
==Decline and resurrection== |
|||
| ⚫ | By 1932, in the depths of the [[Great Depression]] which followed the [[1926 United Kingdom general strike]], coal exports had fallen to below 5 million tons and dozens of locally owned ships were laid-up. It was an era of depression from which Cardiff never really recovered, and despite intense activity at the port during the [[Second World War]], coal exports continued to decline, finally ceasing in 1964. |
||
Tiger Bay was notorious for being a tough and dangerous area to be in. Merchant seamen arrived in [[Cardiff]] from all over the world, only staying for as long as it took to discharge and reload their ships. Consequently many murders and lesser crimes went unsolved and unpunished, the perpetrators having sailed for other ports. |
Tiger Bay was notorious for being a tough and dangerous area to be in. Merchant seamen arrived in [[Cardiff]] from all over the world, only staying for as long as it took to discharge and reload their ships. Consequently the area became the [[redlight]] district of Cardiff, and many murders and lesser crimes went unsolved and unpunished, the perpetrators having sailed for other ports. |
||
After the [[Second World War]] most of the industry closed down, and the area became derelict. |
|||
===People=== |
|||
Today, the port of Cardiff and what is now known as [[Cardiff Bay]] has been totally transformed by the [[Cardiff Barrage]] that impounds the Rivers Taff and the Ely to create a massive fresh-water lake. Only two docks, the Roath and the Queen Alexandra, remain in use, and just two shipping companies remain, albeit buoyant with their world-wide interests. There is still some trade in timber, oil, scrap and containers. |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
== |
==Cardiff Bay== |
||
{{details|Cardiff Bay}} |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
In 1999, new life was injected into the area by the [[Cardiff Bay Development Corporation]], which bulldozed many of the now derelict and decrepit buildings and streets to create new living spaces. This redevelopment was completed by the building of the [[Cardiff Bay Barrage]], one of the most controversial building projects of the day but also one of the most successful,<ref>http://www.newswales.co.uk/index.php?section=Environment&F=1&id=1204 Report on Cardiff Bay</ref> that impounds the Rivers Taff and the Ely to create a massive fresh-water lake. This resulted in the equally controversial renaming area to [[Cardiff Bay]]. |
|||
==Further reading== |
==Further reading== |
||
Revision as of 12:27, 18 October 2008
This article relates to the place in Wales, for other meanings see Tiger Bay (disambiguation).
Tiger Bay was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks. It was re-branded as Cardiff Bay due to the building of the multi-million pound Cardiff Barrage which dams the tidal rivers Ely and Taff to create a body of water.
History
The development of the Cardiff Docks played a major part in Cardiff’s development by being the means of exporting coal from the South Wales Valleys to the rest of the world, helping to power the industrial age. The coal mining industry helped fund the building of Cardiff into the Capital city of Wales and helped the Third Marquis of Bute, who owned the docks, become the richest man in the world at the time.
In 1794, the Glamorganshire Canal was completed, linking Cardiff with Merthyr, and in 1798 a basin was built, connecting the canal to the sea. Increasing agitation for proper dock facilities led Cardiff's foremost landowner, John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, to promote the construction of the West Bute Dock, opened in October 1839. Just two years later, the Taff Vale Railway was opened. From the 1850s coal supplanted iron as the industrial foundation of South Wales, as the Cynon Valley and Rhondda Valley were mined.
Exports reached 2 million tons as early as 1862, with the East Bute dock opening in 1859. In 1862, 2,000,000 tons of coal were exported from Cardiff Docks; by 1913, this had risen to 10,700,000 tons. Frustration at the lack of development at Cardiff led to rival docks being opened at Penarth in 1865 and Barry, Wales in 1889. These developments eventually spurred Cardiff into action, with the opening of the Roath Dock in 1887, and the Queen Alexandra Dock in 1907. By then, coal exports from the South Wales Coalfield via Cardiff totalled nearly 9 million tons per annum, much of it exported in the holds of locally-owned tramp steamers.
By 1932, in the depths of the Great Depression which followed the 1926 United Kingdom general strike, coal exports had fallen to below 5 million tons and dozens of locally owned ships were laid-up. It was an era of depression from which Cardiff never really recovered, and despite intense activity at the port during the Second World War, coal exports continued to decline, finally ceasing in 1964.
Creation of Tiger Bay
As Cardiff's coal exports grew, so did its population; dockworkers and sailors from across the world settled in neighbourhoods close to the docks, known as Tiger Bay from the fearce currents around the local tidal stretches of the River Severn.
Migrant communities from up to 45 different nationalities, including Norwegian, Somali, Yemeni, Spanish, Italian, Caribbean and Irish helped create the unique multicultural character of the area.
Tiger Bay was notorious for being a tough and dangerous area to be in. Merchant seamen arrived in Cardiff from all over the world, only staying for as long as it took to discharge and reload their ships. Consequently the area became the redlight district of Cardiff, and many murders and lesser crimes went unsolved and unpunished, the perpetrators having sailed for other ports.
After the Second World War most of the industry closed down, and the area became derelict.
People
Tiger Bay's most famous former residents are singer Shirley Bassey, and rugby star Billy Boston, who were both born in Tiger Bay. Footballer Ryan Giggs was born in the area in 1973, and lived there for several years before moving to Manchester during the 1980s.
Cardiff Bay
In 1999, new life was injected into the area by the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation, which bulldozed many of the now derelict and decrepit buildings and streets to create new living spaces. This redevelopment was completed by the building of the Cardiff Bay Barrage, one of the most controversial building projects of the day but also one of the most successful,[1] that impounds the Rivers Taff and the Ely to create a massive fresh-water lake. This resulted in the equally controversial renaming area to Cardiff Bay.
Further reading
- "Cardiff - Coal and Shipping Metropolis" By Dr David Jenkins, National Museums & Galleries of Wales. Published: 3 May 2005
See also
- ^ http://www.newswales.co.uk/index.php?section=Environment&F=1&id=1204 Report on Cardiff Bay