East Lock To Royal Dock Including Railings And Bollards

This is a former sea lock, built between 1849 and 1852, as part of the Royal Dock in Grimsby. It was designed by engineer James Rendel, with Adam Smith of Brigg acting as resident engineer, and constructed by Hutchings, Brown and Wright for the Grimsby Dock Company. The lock, measuring 200 feet by 45 feet, is located on the east side of the island pier, close to the Dock Tower. It is smaller than the parallel lock on the west side.

The lock features York stone walls with recesses for two sets of lock gates and outer flood gates. The water depth beside each gate is inscribed in Roman numerals. The lockside includes York stone paving with channels for hydraulic gear, cast-iron mooring bollards, and iron railings. Original 19th-century sections of railings are present, featuring column principals with ball finials. The lock is no longer operational and is blocked on the north side of the flood gates with an infill that spans the former gate recesses.

Historically, the Royal Dock, opened in 1852, served as a trading port for northern Europe and the Baltic. Prince Albert laid the foundation stone at the lock site in 1849, an event commemorated by the Statue of Prince Albert. Originally, the gates were moved using low-pressure hydraulic power from the Dock Tower, later replaced by a high-pressure accumulator tower to the west. The Royal Dock and its two entrance locks were notable for innovations in dock structure and their use of hydraulic systems, believed to be among the first major applications of hydraulic power and the only low-pressure system of its kind.