WPW038270 WALES (1932). View of Robinson David timber company, Splott, Cardiff, oblique aerial view. 5"x4" black and white glass plate negative.

Windsor Road

East Tyndall Street

This area, with large timber bulks on the ground, suggests a timber stock yard. There are fresh piles to the right. It might be interesting to note that here is no lifting equipment visible. Can we assume that wagons were unloaded and piles built by hand. Labour was cheap and cranes expensive. Note how the piles are built with the uneven ends in the middle, not so easy to do with a crane.

A large collection of open wagons. Many of these seem to be rather clean inside for the some of the expected traffic in the area. Coal to Butt Town Basin and the raw materials for the Iron and steel works would soon dirty the often unpainted insides of these wooden bodied wagons. Some may have been there after carrying relatively clean timber. On a number of maps various wagon works are noted in the immediate area to the right of the picture on both sides of the steel works. While these might be repair works for the various building and wagon leasing companies with their main works elsewhere (Gloucester for example) they may also have built new wagons, thus providing at least some of the cleaner wagons! Others are clearly in service but other than some LMS and a large proportion of PO wagons with a white diagonal cross on their doors most of the writing is not decipherable. Such a stock of wagons suggests fluctuations in traffic .... which may well have been the case in 1932 in the steel and timber industries.

Wagon treverser - a smaller version of the one out side 'Steam' close to the BfA offices in Swindon - to move the wagons sideways from track to track in this small wagon works.

The are inside this long curving brick wall is labelled as 'Dowlais Cardiff Works' on the 1901 map and later as 'East Moors Works', being the end of the iron and steel works most of which is out of the picture.

Timber Yard now gone and replaced by housing with Spruce Close, Applewood Close and Sapele Drive giving a nod to the former use.

Branch to Cardiff Docks.

Main line to Cardiff - Caerdydd - Central.

GWR South Wales main line from Newport - Casnewydd.

Sanquhar Street

Splott Road - running across the grid from left (railway bridge) to right.

Railway Street

Does this amount of washing suggest a Monday?