1880 – Board of Trade, Cardiff

“The offices illustrated this week are to be devoted to the use of the Postal Telegraph Ser-vice, and the Mercantile Marine Department of the Board of Trade, and are situated near the Bute Docks, Cardiff. The accommodation is as follows : — Telegraph Office : On the ground-floor, to the front, is the public office, 37ft. din. by 2Sft. Towards the rear are the messengers’ room, battery and lineman’s room, store-rooms, and sanitary offices ; on the first floor are the engineer’s office, and retiring-rooms for the staff of female clerks ; on the second floor is the instrument-room, 52ft. by 3Sft. Mercantile Marine Office : On the ground-floor are the dis- charge office, 31ft. by 30ft. ; engagement office, 40ft. by 26ft. ; together with superintendent’s and clerks’ rooms, and waiting-rooms for seamen and officers of the out-door staff. On the first- floor are two large examination-rooms, general office, and tonnage office, together with effects, and store-rooms in the rear. The second-floor will be devoted to the use of the care-taker, and for storage purposes. Provision has been made in the discharge office for the wives of seamen attending to cash pay-notes. The building materials are as follows : — For the walling, local red bricks have been used ; for the dressings, cornices, &c., shalk stone (a deep red sandstone), from near Carlisle; and for the columns and pilasters, Penrhyn granite. The roofs are covered with Welsh slates. The contractors are Messrs. Kirk and Randall, of Woolwich, by whom the work is being executed in a highly- expeditious and satisfactorv manner. The architect is Mr. E. G. Rivers, C.E., of H.M. Office of Works, Whitehall-place, S.W. The work is being carried out under the immediate superintendence of Mr. M. 6. Nasmyth.” Published in The Building News, November 26th 1880.