At the beginning of the 21st Century the Marine Drive sea defences were reinforced. During these changes the 'Lady Dock' - a small slipway on the North Bay was built over. Not many people knew what this small archway built into the Marine Drive was used for. Some people talked about its links to smuggling - a dark and mysterious place used for the landing of contraband. Some people felt it was built as an emergency landing. The only real practical it ever had was as the starting point for the Castle Foot Swim each year when swimmers swim from one Bay to the other.
The Lady Port was built after a Ministry inquirey into the building of the Marine Drive. It was intended as an emergency landing point. The archway provided a break in the long sweep of the walls. But in practice it was never used for this purpose. Sailing boats preferred to go round the Marine Drive and into the South Bay. The treacherous rocks around this made it a place to be avoided. In fact the waves around this portion of the wall are amongst the most vicious.
The size of the archway was altered when Clarence gardens slipped. The wall was pushed outwards and the archway was narrowed. So no cobles ever put into here in bad wheather.
