Only 12 years after the West Dock was opened it was already struggling to cope with the ever-increasing number and size of vessels and agreements were signed for the construction of this new dock.
Work was started in January 1852 and completed for an opening in July 1855. But even while being constructed it was clear that the planned size of the dock was insufficient. Thereafter two extensions were added opening in in 1857 and 1859.
The final size of the dock was 4300 feet long, 300 feet wide for 1000 feet and 500 feet wide for the remainder. The entrance lock was 49 feet wide. Total expenditure is put at £1.25m (£169m today).
It is claimed that at this time the Bute East Dock was the largest in Britain and perhaps in the world and this dock alone was handling 4m tons of coal each year through the late 1880’s necessitating regular night shifts.
But it was not all coal. Atlantic Wharf and the north end of the dock had several warehouses. There was a timber quay and pond, and dry docks and an engineering works.
