Alexandra Dock: Walls, Lock Gates, Graving Docks, Extension Dock

Alexandra Dock is a dock built between 1880 and 1885, with an extension added in 1899. It was designed by James Abernethy and supervised by Oldham & Bonn for the Hull & Barnsley Railway Company. The structure features ashlar stonework and Portland Cement concrete. The dock walls are slightly sloped and extend downwards approximately 12 meters. The upper 4 meters are faced with large ashlar blocks topped with rounded coping. The dock has a rectangular shape, measuring about 700 meters by 300 meters, and includes a deep lock entrance on the south side with three pairs of steel lock gates. The outer pair of gates was renewed between 1927 and 1928, while the central pair was constructed in 1957 and installed in 1958. To the east, three jetties extend northward into the dock, which was previously a timber yard. The entrance to the extension dock is located on the east side, and the north side features two graving docks at the north-east corner, which have stepped sides and access stairs. The west side has a single central projecting jetty. Alexandra Dock was originally constructed as a general cargo dock and served as an outlet for the South Yorkshire coalfields.