Pierhead Building Cardiff Bay

The Pierhead Building

Cardiff Bay’s Gothic Landmark Since 1897

Standing proudly on the waterfront, the Pierhead Building has been at the heart of Cardiff’s docklands for more than a century. Known affectionately as the “Welsh Big Ben”, this striking red-brick landmark remains one of the most recognisable buildings in Cardiff Bay.

Through Fire and Water

The Pierhead opened in 1897 as the headquarters of the Cardiff Railway Company, replacing the original Bute Dock Company offices that were destroyed by fire in 1892.

Designed by Welsh architect William Frame in an ornate Gothic Revival style, and constructed by William Thomas & Co., the building served as the administrative centre for South Wales Ports.

At a time when Cardiff’s docks were among the busiest and most prosperous in the world, this was where the Dock Master oversaw operations, engineers drafted plans, and the financial accounts of the coal trade were managed. Clerks, surveyors, hydrographers and typists worked side by side in rooms that once powered a global industry.

The Famous Red Bricks

The Pierhead is built using J.C. Edwards’ distinctive Ruabon terracotta brick — a material seen throughout Victorian Cardiff.

If you explore Cardiff’s historic suburbs, you’ll notice the same deep red brickwork and glazed tiles appearing in schools, civic buildings and terraces across the city.

The building’s colour and detailing give it an unmistakable presence on the Bay skyline.

The Main Hall & The Strong Room

Originally divided into smaller offices, the Main Hall housed the docks’ accounts department. As coal exports declined and the docks were restructured, draftsmen took over much of the space, filling it with large drawing boards and hand-painted engineering plans.

At the rear of the hall sits the original “strong room” safe. Legend says that the first million-pound cheque signed at the nearby Coal Exchange was stored here. Some even claim the safe has a resident ghost — perhaps an old accountant still guarding his ledgers.

The Pierhead Suite

Upstairs you’ll find the grand offices of the Chief Dock Manager.

Rich walnut panelling, decorative plaster ceilings and a canopied terracotta fireplace — adorned with carvings of fish and birds — reflect the architectural flair of the era. The detailing would not look out of place in Cardiff Castle.

Today, the Pierhead Suite serves as a tribute to Welsh history, hosting exhibitions and artefacts celebrating the people and events that shaped modern Wales.

The “Welsh Big Ben”

The building’s four-faced clock was designed by William Frame and built by William Potts & Sons of Leeds. Its mechanism was overseen by Edmund Beckett Denison, the same engineer behind London’s Big Ben.

The clock was designed to be seen day and night, originally illuminated by gas lighting from behind the dials.

Clock Facts:

• Weighs approximately 1,000 lbs

• Dials measure 6 ft 6 in in diameter

• Weight-driven mechanism, wound weekly

• 72-inch pendulum

• Bell inscribed with the Welsh adage:
  “Better death than shame”

• Today, the Pierhead Building stands not only as a reminder of Cardiff’s industrial strength, but as a symbol of Welsh identity and heritage — a must-visit landmark when exploring Cardiff Bay.