Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Seamans Hospital HMS HAMADRYAD, late 19th Century. HMS HAMADRYAD was permanently moored in the River Taff. She was eventually replaced by a brick built hospital on the shore.

H.M.S. HAMADRYAD was the third ship of that name. She was built at Pembroke Dock between 1819 and 1823 for £24 683 but never saw active service. Following her launch at Pembroke Dock in 1823 she was towed to Portsmouth for completion The ship never saw active service, being laid-up in reserve at Devonport until 1866 when she was declared surplus and destined to be broken-up. Instead she was loaned for conversion into a seamen’s hospital ship for the port of Cardiff. She arrived by July 1866 and was berthed in the Bute East Dock where, with masts removed and her upper deck roofed-over, she opened as “Hamadryad Hospital” on 1 November 1866. In summer 1867 she was moved and anchored on “The West Mud”, at a location that later became close to the junction of Ferry Road and Hunter Street. In 1905 a replacement hospital was built on shore, opening on 29 June 1905, and the ship was sold by the Admiralty to London-based buyers for breaking-up. She left Cardiff under tow on 5 September 1905 for Appledore where she was finally broken-up in 1921.