Carnsew Quay

Carnsew Quay

A quay of mid-18th-century date with walls constructed of granite and elvan rubble stone with granite dressings and some granite ashlar. Iron cramps secure some of the copings. The quay was extended and altered in the early 19th century with sluices inserted.

The structure functioned as a causeway quay that partly formed a barrier damming water behind it between tides. Estuarine water flowed down a narrowing channel to the south sluice gates (replaced in the 21st century). The gates were opened to allow the tide to fill Carnsew Pool and then closed to retain the water. Sluices at the north end of the quay were then released to flush out the narrow channel. The gates also gave vessels access to the quays of Carnsew Pool. The quay extends approximately 70 metres to the west of the southern sluice.

The walls are battered with dressed granite copings on the estuary side. The walls surrounding the four exit sluices are granite ashlar with openings spanned by granite lintels. A flight of granite steps leads from the quay to the south of the ashlar wall. The inner walls of the quay are random rubble. At the north end the quay wall reduces in height and terminates approximately 18 metres north of the exit sluices. To the south, the wall has 19th-century upper courses and a loading bay infilled in granite blocks. The wall curves into the south sluice entrance to the Pool, where there is an intact loading bay with granite steps. On the opposite bank is a similarly aligned curving wall creating the channel into the Pool. Attached to this wall is a north-south orientated pound wall belonging to the former dock and slip of Harvey's Foundry, which adjoins South Quay (separately listed).

The Pool entrance is spanned by a 21st-century concrete footbridge on an alignment similar to one shown on the 1842 Tithe map. Modern timber sluice gates are set in a granite ashlar walled channel and jambs. The sluice pound beyond has coursed and random rubble walls. The south wall has projecting quoins at the start of approximately a 70-metre section of quay wall with four irregularly-spaced infilled loading bays inserted into the coping. To the west of the second loading bay an infilled area of the Pool encloses the wall.

The north wall of the sluice pound has quoins and granite coping and curves to the north; it has either been removed or survives in part as buried remains. The Pool-facing side of the quay has been infilled, partly with concrete slab, and to the north granite rubble walls have been rebuilt, adjoining the bridge that carries the north sluices. The entrance to the sluices consists of two spans of round arches with rubble voussoirs, and water flows under a projecting sluice quay through four openings (the sluice gates do not survive). The rubble wall of the sluice entrance extends approximately 8 metres to the north.

On the quayside overlooking the Carnsew channel stand three granite mooring posts.