A brief history of Cogan
Cogan is a small suburb of Penarth, located in the district of the Vale of Glamorgan. Due to the rise in popularity of coal as a fuel source, Penarth and the surrounding area grew rapidly. It's location was of paramount importance. Close to the pil (a tidal inlet at the mouth of the River Ely) Cogan initially served as worker housing for the workers constructing Penarth's Docks. The docks allowed coal from across the Welsh valleys to be transported via sea to its intended destination. Financed by the infamous Windsors, Penarth's docs were once the largest in Wales.
Competition between the Bute and Windsor families was fierce, both competing for land, money and power. Throughout the 1800s, the Windsor family planned, financed and developed the area that we now call Cogan and much of the historic areas around Penarth we still see today. The street names around old Cogan reflect family members within the Windsor family: Harriet Street,Charlotte Street, Agnes Street being names of streets in the area both relating to important family members.
Windsor Road, one of the main arteries in and out of Penarth (aptly named after it's creators) served as one of the initial roads developed during the creation and expansion of Cogan. Pill Street and Dock street followed, housing the first wave of workers drafted in to start developing the docks. Whilst many workers were local to Cardiff, a growing number of Irish labourers were being hired due to their extremely hard work ethic and generally superior strength. Documents from the time state that the Irish labourers made larger, stronger wheelbarrows to allow them to shift more material, resulting in faster working.
Cogan Brick Works
During creating of the docks, Cogan supplied not only labour, but materials too. There were a number of brick works close to Penarth and surrounding Cardiff. Situated in the area now named Goscombe Drive and Gainsborough Road, the former brick works produced clay bricks for the local area, including Penarth. The brick works were finally demolished in the 1960s as they stood derelict, no longer in use. Replaced by a mixture of flats and houses, the only evidence of its previous use is the scarred landscape surrounding the area.
Cogan Pill House
It would be impossible to mention Cogan without making reference to the Barron's Court. The substantial, tudor looking building in recent years has been used to serve food. Formerly known as Cogan Pill House, the grand building is steeped in history. It's true history is a little vague, however is well documented from the 1500s onwards. Owned by the Herbert Family, who had ties with King Henry VIII. George Herbert, one of the building's many owners, was hugely influential. He was the first sheriff of Glamorgan, Mayor of Cardiff and held a seat in Parliament. Both George, his son William and Nicholas had various run-ins with the law, despite their positions of power. Accusations of extortion, collusion with pirates and unfair taxes all fell on the family name. Read more about the Herbert family here.
The Cogan Pub
Closed in 2006, The Cogan was the last 'spit and sawdust' pub to close. Serving the local area, the pub offered a place for locals, the dock workers and brick work workers to unwind. The pub changed hands throughout the years but due to changing tastes and shifting cultural habits the pub closed up shop and the building has now been converted into a selection of flats. The sign still remains, hinting at the history that the place holds.
The Station Hotel
Owned by the infamous Welsh Brains Brewery, the once large and imposing building closed in 2019 at the start of the Corona Virus Pandemic. Brains Brewery sold a number of their public houses and property during this period. The building is now in proposals for demolishing and replacing with a complex of flats and shops to serve the local area.
