Cumberland Basin walls and associated features including Junction Lock swing bridge

Quay and lock walls of 1803-1809 by William Jessop, Chief Engineer of the Bristol Dock Company, and C19 bollards. Altered 1863-1873 by Thomas Howard and with later alterations including a swing bridge across Junction Lock of 1925 by John Lysaght Ltd.

MATERIALS: the quay and lock walls are constructed of dressed pennant blocks with granite and limestone coping stones. The C19 mooring bollards and capstans that line the sides of the Cumberland Basin and its associated locks (both functioning and defunct) are of cast iron. The swing bridge over Junction Lock is steel and the lock gates to Howard’s North Entrance Lock have steel paddles.

DESCRIPTION: Cumberland Basin is a narrow oval on plan, roughly on an east-west orientation, with Junction Lock at the north-east corner opening into the Floating Harbour and the North Entrance Lock (Howard’s Lock) at the north-west corner to the River Avon. Jessop's former South Junction Lock is to the south-east corner and is used for mooring. Bridges cross the junction locks: a swing bridge across Junction Lock of 1925 built by John Lysaght Ltd and erected by William Cowlin and Son (plate on east arch); and a fixed road bridge to the south across Jessop’s Lock has steel railings and the underside is sealed with large dressed stone blocks to create the marina on the harbour side. Howard’s Lock has pedestrian access across the two lock gates, which retain early to mid C20 fabric; the former Brunel swing bridge (separately listed at Grade II*) being disused and standing on the southern edge of the lock. On the north side of Howard’s Lock is a raised platform providing access to Cumberland Basin Road with latching posts formerly used to fix the swing bridge into position.

Mooring bollards are positioned around the basin and locks. Those along the north side of Howard’s Lock terminate at a cobbled slipway to the River Avon. There are also a number of historic capstans beside the locations of lock gates and former lock gates, including on the peninsular of land to the south side of Howard’s Lock where there is also the sealed mouth of the former north entrance lock. A metal ladder is fixed to the southern edge of this former lock, where it adjoins Brunel’s Lock (separately Grade II*). To the north-east corner of the basin chamber are three flights of stone steps. Other notable features include a C19 capstan near the south-east corner of Jessop's Lock and a former steel and timber ‘gridiron’ structure attached outside the entrance to the former north entrance lock.