Cardiff Clarence Road station

[br2975]

I think that the 'car auctions' ended up on the site of Wagon Repairs.

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"Taff Wagon" ended their days constructing points and crossings for BR, the rail access to their yard was crossed by the road into Ferry Road Tip.

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The branch was shortened in the early 1980s and new oil discharge facilities installed along the length of line between the York Place overbridge and the overbridge near 'The Red House' pub.

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Some shots of the branch can be found here:-

 

A DMU special takes the Ferry Road branch at Grangetown.

http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=G-100&serial=13&img=G-100-22

 

"The Red House" viewed from the branch

http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=G-100&img=G-100-23&serial=14

 

The train is in the same location as the last photo, but we're looking north - Channel View Flats and the British Road Services warehouse, later David Morgans warehouse is also visible.

http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?srch=G-100&img=G-100-24&serial=15

 

Brian R

[mervyn]

I remember that the  blue wagon works was visited by an 08 I saw it once or twice descending the bank from the branch over the road and then either taking or bringing wagons out of the works pretty sure it also worked the Esso tanks on and off the branch, never saw anything" mainline" on the branch wonder if anything did get down there ?

[br2975]

I was told by a former guard that circa 1967/68 the branch was covered by 9H57 which worked off Penarth Curve North, and shunted there, Ferry Road, Virgil Street coal yard and Ely Paper Mill.

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In his time the regular loco was a 'nine fiver' (Class 14).

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He recalled Bill Way receiving the occasional 16 tonner for loading with scrap, tank wagons for Grangetown gas works, and once a 12 ton van to Howard Oils.

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After the Cl.14s went the branch was shunted by a Cl.08 - usually tripping from Radyr and by 1976 this was 9E76

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I've attached the times for 9E76 as shown in the May - October 1976 WTT

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Brian

9E76 030576-031076-in detail.xls

[mervyn]

Thanks for the info Bri only saw the 95ers working the brickyard opposite canton ,ferry road would make a cracking model though !..

[Jongudmund]

Wow. I didn't know that about the bed warehouse on the corner of Clive Street and Ferry Road. That's a factoid to tell the wife when I next drive past.

 

I forgot that Ferry Road continued along past the back of Cardiff Bay Retail Park. I remember them taking out the bridge in the late 90s. It was still there when I moved into Grangetown in 1995. You had to go under it and along a very desolate road towards the flyover to get on the Ely Link Road. I think most of the industry had gone by then. You could see the Red House standing all alone as you drove up the new flyover that crosses the Ely River to go to Penarth. I remember there was quite a row about it being knocked down. 

 

It's a shame they didn't think ahead and keep the branch line as a light rail link down to the sports village. That would have been very 'green' and useful now.

[br2975]

 You could see the Red House standing all alone as you drove up the new flyover that crosses the Ely River to go to Penarth. I remember there was quite a row about it being knocked down. 

 

In my mis-spent teenage years I played darts for 'The Old Arcade' and recall playing a match at 'The Red House'.

 

During the evening, it was a (very) high tide and somehow the (then outside) urinal backed up and there was a few inches of 'water' through the gents toilet. 

 

Brian R

[br2975]

.................... I remember the brick 'British Dredging' building on the corner of Avondale Road with Corporation Road.

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Before that it was Bowles Sand Wharf, and they moved there from the Glamorganshire Canal after the dredger "Catherine Ethel" (operated by one Bowles of competitors, can't remember whether it was J & R Griffiths or Sandridge & Co.) hit the sea lock gates and was swept out to sea. The council decided to fill in the canal instead of repairing the gates and refill the lower end of the canal with water ..... so Bowles were left high and dry (yeeuch !). They approached the Cardiff Corporation for assistance with relocating and ended up alongside the River Taff at Avondale Road, Grangetown.

 

Here are a few shots from 'the docks'side of Clarence Road bridge taken with my "ever reliable" Zenit 'B' or 'E' in the mid 1970s.

 

They were taken to remind me of visits when working on Corporation lorries from Trade St. I was amazed how we'd reverse under the chute and the opertor would ask "how much drive ?" to be told "ton an' 'arf !" (in best Caaairdiff accent) and he'd load us by eye - then we'd roll onto the weighbridge and it would scale out at exactly 30cwt. !!!

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Brian R

 

PS

Astute observers of the photos will identify a creature known locally (by older Caaaairdiff folk) as a "sh!tehawk" !

Edited August 22, 2014 by br2975

[Happy Hippo]

Brian,

 

Seeing the pictures of Bowles' operation reminds me that I used to go down that way quite a lot as it was a short walk from Clive Street  to the Marl playing fields.

 

I used to get my hair cut at Charlie Bowles the barbers which was on 'The Square', now long gone along with a lot of old Grangetown.

 

We used to cross clive Street and go down the road at the side of Grange Baptist chapel.  It's called Worcester Street now, but it wasn't back then.  I'm sure it used to pass a pub called 'Avondale?'.

 

My grandfather always preferred 'The Bird in Hand' in Bromsgrove Street.

T

From a rail aspect, I suppose once could always imagine a long siding off the Ferry Road branch, probably a kick back of the line that used to serve 'The Gridiron' serving Bowles' sand operation.

[br2975]

My grandfather always preferred 'The Bird in Hand' in Bromsgrove Street.

 

Played darts for 'The Old A' there as well .......... one member of the opposition had but a finger and thumb on his throwing hand and flicked the darts from his waste - unorthodox, but very good and sticks in my mind to this day, despite the intervening 40yrs.

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Brian R

[naturol]

Lynne Bowles, who reads the traffic on radio two, is the daughter, private girls school education and lived in machen I believe.

The more mature gentlemans totty , they say.

[Prometheus]

In my mis-spent teenage years I played darts for 'The Old Arcade' and recall playing a match at 'The Red House'.

 

During the evening, it was a (very) high tide and somehow the (then outside) urinal backed up and there was a few inches of 'water' through the gents toilet. 

 

Brian R

 

Draught Bass for lunch too often at the Red House, followed by an unproductive and sleepy afternoon's work back in Westgate St. In foul weather, the place was wonderfully bleak. And on the subject of The Old A, decades ago my wife got her foot caught in a radiator grill there; spent the whole night stuck, too embarrassed to tell anyone. Bloomin' good job she doesn't read this too.

 

Tony

Edited August 23, 2014 by Prometheus

[br2975]

Unfortunately "The Old A"  is looked upon by many in Cardiff as a typical old Brains pub.

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None of them ever sampled the 'real' Brains pubs of yore where you wiped your feet on the way out.

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I took my wife to "The Vulcan" the week it closed ................ the stench from the blokes bog took a layer of skin off my throat, and when I asked the barman (rather barboy) for a 'pint of light' he didn't have a clue, the pensioner next to me laughed and said to me "you're showing your age son !".

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In the mid 1970s I was doing a survey for a proposed extension to Dock View Road in Barry, and my mate and I wnt for a pub lunch, pint of light and a ploughmans remember them ?) in The Marine Hotel which was "on the Island" (no one in the area calls it Barry Island).

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We sat next to a table of regulars playing crib (yes, crib !) when the barmaid came from behind the bar, stood in front of the crib table, lifted up her skirt ahd shouted at the card school "see, I am wearing  f******g drawers !"

 

My mate and I, both seasoned BrAIns drinkers (The Culver and The Bulldog) sat there speechless..

 

Time I moved on, or is life leaving me behind ?..

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Brian R

[Prometheus]

That's a great story. I remember the Marine well: in the late 60's, two of its barmaids were reckoned to be the ugliest in Barry. They were certainly extremely intolerant (of us). Did you ever drink in The Chain Locker, under The Barry Dock Hotel: that was a real bit of Docks history.

 

The best SA I drank in Cardiff was in The Royal Oak in the 80's. But for one of the old Brains pubs you referenced, I remember going into a small street front pub in a terraced row with a mate in the late 60's. It was in Canton on a road since widened (sort of parallel and to the south of Cowbridge Rd - ending in the lights by what was St David's Hospital). It had a single bar in a small room with a bare wooden floor. In the middle if the room was a pot- bellied stove. We stood at the bar drinking our Dark when a dog came in iff the street, peed against the stove and left again. A regular occurrence we were told.

 

Finally (for while anyway), I only visited The Terminus (top of St Mary's St) once. Most of the furniture was broken. Did you ever go clubbing at the Moon ?

 

Tony

[br2975]

(i)

That's a great story. I remember the Marine well: in the late 60's, two of its barmaids were reckoned to be the ugliest in Barry. They were certainly extremely intolerant (of us). Did you ever drink in The Chain Locker, under The Barry Dock Hotel: that was a real bit of Docks history.

 

(ii)

The best SA I drank in Cardiff was in The Royal Oak in the 80's.

 

(iii)

But for one of the old Brains pubs you referenced, I remember going into a small street front pub in a terraced row with a mate in the late 60's. It was in Canton on a road since widened (sort of parallel and to the south of Cowbridge Rd - ending in the lights by what was St David's Hospital). It had a single bar in a small room with a bare wooden floor. In the middle if the room was a pot- bellied stove. We stood at the bar drinking our Dark when a dog came in iff the street, peed against the stove and left again. A regular occurrence we were told.

 

(iv)

Finally (for while anyway), I only visited The Terminus (top of St Mary's St) once. Most of the furniture was broken.

 

(v)

Did you ever go clubbing at the Moon ?

 

Tony

 

(i)

My experience of Barry pubs was limited to say the least - started when I attended "Barry Tech" in the 70s, by Western W£elsh bus from Ely Bridge. Liquid refreshment in the 'Tinny' usually. Although working on the same survey we did have lunch in 'The Zoo' on one occasion.

 

However, as a 'lad' in the early 70s we did have a run in with the infamous  Windsor Chapter in a well known establishment on 'the Island' one Bank Holiday Monday.

 

(ii)

Never been in there, wrong side of Cardiff for me.

 

(iii)

You mean Wellington Street, and it would have been either "The Rover" or "The Red Cow" , there was also a small pub of similar proportions on Leckwith Road where the community centre now stands, behind Tesco, "The Boar's Head", not to mention the original Ninian Park Hotel where I saw the greatest pub fight ever, Scots fans slugging it out amongst each other before Wales v Scotland in 1975 (Home Internationals).

 

(iv)

That was taken over by a well known Cardiff entrepreneur, first name Lenny, and turned into Sams Bar. He took down the old pub sign which showed a Cardiff tram. I told my missus that it would be a cracking bit of memorablia. She tapped Lenny when he came into the bank where she worked and he said 'tell him to come around andhe can have it' .................... but she told me too late, and the builders took it away !!!! 

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(v)

New Moon Club, The Hayes - up the ricketty stairs and the only place in Cardiff you could get "Newky Brown"

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My memoirs of a mis-spent youth railways, football and public houses.

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Brian R

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BTW Tony,

Was down your way today, lunch in Southgate and a walk on the beach at Pobble Bay (never knew the place existed).

[chrisf]

OMG, the Marine!  I can only remember one visit which must be getting on for 20 years ago.  I had attended a talk at Barry Island station and went into the Marine for a nightcap, heaven help me, and discovered that Neil Lewis had played there the previous night.   This was the same Neil Lewis, a Barry boy who is no longer with us, who had backed Max Boyce all over the world.  How are the mighty fallen, I mused.

 

Some will be wondering what the connection is with Clarence Road station.  I know one.  In the early days of dmus there were two departures, Saturdays excepted, from Barry Island to Clarence Road in rapid succession - 4.0 pm and 4.5 pm.  The bizarre bit is that one of the units arriving at 3.40 pm formed the 4.0 but the other was detached and coupled to one from the sidings to form the 4.5.  Some things surpass all understanding.

 

Chris

[Prometheus]

Often walk the dogs down to Pobbles - very much a local beach.

 

The New Moon was great - I remember seeing two separate fights taking place simultaneously on the stairs ! Newky Brown bottles often flew too.....

 

Isn't The Vulcan being rebuilt at St Fagans ?

 

Tony

[NHY 581]

That's a great story. I remember the Marine well: in the late 60's, two of its barmaids were reckoned to be the ugliest in Barry. They were certainly extremely intolerant (of us). Did you ever drink in The Chain Locker, under The Barry Dock Hotel: that was a real bit of Docks history.The best SA I drank in Cardiff was in The Royal Oak in the 80's. But for one of the old Brains pubs you referenced, I remember going into a small street front pub in a terraced row with a mate in the late 60's. It was in Canton on a road since widened (sort of parallel and to the south of Cowbridge Rd - ending in the lights by what was St David's Hospital). It had a single bar in a small room with a bare wooden floor. In the middle if the room was a pot- bellied stove. We stood at the bar drinking our Dark when a dog came in iff the street, peed against the stove and left again. A regular occurrence we were told.Finally (for while anyway), I only visited The Terminus (top of St Mary's St) once. Most of the furniture was broken. Did you ever go clubbing at the Moon ?Tony

Royal Oak was my local for just over ten years. Most of my time was spent in the back room listening to a lot of good music and drinking SA from the cask.

 

My dad was was friendly with the last landlord of the Terminus. I was quite young but remember going to town with my Dad in a Saturday morning and going to the Terminus so Dad could have a pint. One year I watched the Lord Mayors parade from the flat above the pub.

 

Rob

[Prometheus]

Another lunchtime watering hole was The Taff Vale: pleasant Brains kept there but an officey crowd. I used to walk there for lunch when I worked very briefly at The Tower of Babel (Julian S Hodge Building) on Newport Rd.

 

Anyone ever drink at The Marchionesse of Bute ? Not far from The Taff Vale in that maze of lanes and little streets to the south of Queen St. And as with Chris' post, a (well, tenuous) link with Clarence Rd on the old Barry : her family owned the ironworks just a spit from the station.

 

Tony

[br2975]

Apparently, "The Vulcan" is to be rebuilt at St.Fagans (Amgueddfa Werin Cymru)  - I hope they've captured the 'authentic' smell from the gents bogs.

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Perhaps I can adopt it as my local as it'll be in the same road, but a bit of a hike.

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As for the "Taff Vale" that was always our last stop before a Saturday night in 'the rank' (Top Rank suite) - the upstairs gents had urinals next to the windows which were left open in summer to allevaite that all to common gents bog odour, or to allow the flies in - but it allowed passers by to watch the urinals in use !!!!!

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I can remember the "Marchioness of Bute" all pokey little rooms and almost opposite the Central Library reading room(s) a sort of shop where you could go to read the days papers.

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Further down from there was a shop called "Wiesbards" a sort of ironmongers and similar to Arkwright's in Open All Hours. It was where my father got the parts to build dolls houses and forts in council time !

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As for Neil Lewis , wasn't it he and John Luce ??? who backed Max in his early years of fame - 'Live at Treorchy' was the first album by a Welsh performer to top the album charts and the first and only 'comedy' album to top the UK album chart.

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How did we get here from Clarence Road ?????

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Brian R

[doodaa]

Live around the corner from the Marine on the island, it closed just over a year ago, and is now being converted in to flats, with a couple of houses going in the car park. Under the house next door to the marine runs the tunnel through to Barry Pier, now a shooting range.

 

Steve

[tomparryharry]

I used to work on East Canal Wharf, for a couple of years. Seem to remember that the Quebec was just out of the back door of the factory, whilst the Owain Glyndwr(?) was just out the front.I expect they've all gone now. Haven't been down there for years.

 

Ian

[chrisf]

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As for Neil Lewis , wasn't it he and John Luce ??? who backed Max in his early years of fame - 'Live at Treorchy' was the first album by a Welsh performer to top the album charts and the first and only 'comedy' album to top the UK album chart.

 

 

Yes re John Luce -- a chubby lad IIRC.  Later on the band was enlarged and John left.

 

Was it not "We All Had Doctors Papers" that topped the charts? 

 

Chris

[Prometheus]

I know this is wandering desperately but I think that I first saw Max Boyce - before he became well known - when he was on the folk club circuit. The Barry folkclub had a one-night session upstairs in the Dockers' Club, Vere St., Cadoxton. Why one night only ? The Morris Dancing act damaged the ceiling below with all of their floor-whacking antics and the management would have no more of it - pieces of plaster in people's beer.

 

That night we drank William Youngers' gassy Tartan - filthy stuff too - at less that two bob a pint. Missed the last train home so walked along the railway from Cadoxton Station to just beyond Barry Town [on the Vale line] and down the embankment near The Lake. The Vale line also provided a walking shortcut to a pub in Fontygary, through the tunnel and over the viaduct. You had to time that one right mind you......... 

 

Yes, I know, like the Welsh, this topic has developed its own diaspora...........

 

[i think it was 'Doctors' Papers' Chris]

 

Tony

Edited August 24, 2014 by Prometheus

[Danemouth]

Talking of pubs in the centre of Cardiff that are long gone, when I worked in Bute Terrace of a lunchtime sometimes we went the the Tredegar (Hancocks) or the Salutation (Brains) in Hayes Bridge Road. The Fishguard Arms was another I have never visited. I also gave The Greyhound in Bridge Street a miss - certainly it was a rough pub.

 

All long gone - only the Golden Cross remains and I've never been in there given it's reputation before the area was regenerated in the 80's.

 

Dave

[The Stationmaster]

I don't think I really ought to name the pubs I normally frequented in Cardiff except to say that 'The Ship & Pilot' was a right let down as it had been 'modernised' by 1968.