the tide had been excluded, pits and borings were made to determine the nature of the bottom. A much narrower dock had been planned, but it was decided to move the south wall further south. A mole was added running along the middle of the dock, which increased the length of the quays.[28] Thirty locomotives were used inside the dock works to carry materials. At peak there were 3,000 workers on the site. In the summer and autumn the work continued day and night, with the site lit by electricity and Wells lights.

Completion[edit]

Opening day in 1889

Entrance to Barry Dock (1897) by William Lionel Wyllie
The civil engineer John Wolfe Barry reported that the docks were nearing completion in September 1888.[7] A caisson[a] was built at the sea face of the entrance within the temporary stone dam, fitting against the quoins of the entrance. The stone dam was removed before all the work was completed.[20] Water was let into the docks on 29 June 1889. The water was first admitted into the basin and dock by opening the sluices in the culvert at the entrance on a rising tide. The sluices in the culvert at the west end were also opened. On the first tide the basin and dock were covered with 5 feet (1.5 m) of water, on the next with 18 feet (5.5 m), and on the tide that followed with 23 feet (7.0 m).[20] On 13 July 1889 the caisson was floated and taken into the basin by a tug, and the tide could flow freely through the entrance.[30] The ceremonial opening by David Davies with 2,000 guests took place on 18 July 1889.[31][32] The first vessel, S.S. Arno sailed into the dock shortly after the ribbon was cut. Six tips were ready for the opening, and loaded coal into six ships.[33]

In the first phase 5,000,000 cubic yards (3,800,000 m3) had been excavated. 200,000 cubic yards (150,000 m3) of rubble masonry had been used, 10,000 cubic yards (7,600 m3) of brickwork, 110,000 cubic feet (3,100 m3) of ashlar, mostly granite, and 220,000 cubic feet (6,200 m3) of timber work.[34] The docks had a water surface of 107 acres (43 ha) with 242 acres (98 ha) of adjacent quay roads and lands, and 208 acres (84 ha) of land covered by tide, for a total of 557 acres (225 ha).[35] The cost of the first phase of dock construction was about £850,000, including gates and machinery.[16] The total cost of the first phase was £2 million.[9]

No. 2 Dock, to the east of the first dock, was authorised in 1893. Work began in 1894 and was completed in 1898.[36] A further expansion to the docks were completed in 1914.[9] The Docks Office was built in 1897-1900 by the architect Arthur E. Bell at the cost of £59,000. A statue of David Davies by Alfred Gilbert stands in front, unveiled in 1893. The roof and clock tower wer