Swanage locomotive shed, turntable pit and retaining wall

A railway locomotive shed and turntable pit of 1885. Designed probably by Galbraith and Church for the Swanage Railway. Restoration and minor alterations to the building in the late C20; the original turntable was scrapped in 1967. The present turntable, which was installed in the early C21 and the post-1955 ancillary building on the north side of the locomotive shed, are excluded from the listing.

MATERIALS The engine shed is constructed of cut and squared Purbeck stone under a slate roof.

PLAN The building is rectangular on plan and offset slightly from the track.

EXTERIOR It is a single track, four-bay engine shed (formerly 71B sub-shed) for one locomotive. The north and south side elevations each have a chamfered plinth and four windows under cambered arches, with original frames with small panes. The west end has a segmental-arched doorway with boarded double doors. The east end is open, with boarding in the gable. It previously had an identical doorway to the west end, but after it was damaged, the opening was altered to its present form. The gabled roof has two low and two tall ventilators which have been restored.

INTERIOR The internal walls are whitewashed stone. There is a single track, and a central inspection pit runs the length of the building with a walkway to either side. It retains timber king post truss roofs and two rows of purlins.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES Directly associated with the locomotive shed is the uncovered turntable. It is cut into the hillslope, with a curved, stone rubble retaining wall along its north side. It consists of a circular depression, some 15.2m in diameter. The pit walls are lined with random stone rubble, and the floor is concrete. The concrete inner circle is later, added to accommodate the replacement steel locomotive turntable which was installed in the early C21. The present turntable, which was manufactured by Cowans, Sheldon & Co Ltd of Carlisle and is now manually operated, is not included in the listing.