In the later 1880’s, mud was a huge problem, particularly during the winter. People reported that the town was dismal and dreary with a wilderness of mud with no houses apart from the Central Police Station. A postman also reported that in 1891 Thompson Street was a muddy lake that the tide flowed into.
The lake was drained and Thompson Street was built. There was a stream that flowed down what is now Tynewydd Road, and there woodland stretched from Newlands Street to the Central Police Station.
In 1898, The Barry and Cadoxton Journal reported that the roads in Cadoxton were also bogged down with mud and water, There was a stream in the centre of Cadoxton in the summer that turned into a huge lake in the winter months.
In the winter of 1890, the mud on the streets of Holton Road and Cadoxton was more than ankle deep and trade drew to a standstill. There were reports of people being thrown from their horse drawn carts after becoming stuck in the mud.
As the town grew, more houses and roads were built, drainage systems were put in place and the mud was no longer a problem.