No 4 Dock, including bollards and capstans

One of four dry docks, built between 1796-7.

MATERIALS: granite and limestone ashlar.

PLAN: is aligned on a north-east to south-west axis, the dock mouth faces west towards the Hamoaze estuary.

DESCRIPTION: the dock is composed of altars stepped down towards the centre. Slides and steps are located around the sides for the movement of materials. The dock walls are rounded at the dock heads and there are pedestrian steps down to the lower dock levels. The dock walls are inscribed at intervals with Roman numerals marking the height of the water. In 1999 the dock was described as retaining its iron gates; however, now (2015) there is no evidence that these still survive.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: cast-iron bollards line all four docks. Most are late-C19 and are inscribed with the letters VR; some bear the date 1897. There are also upturned muzzle loading canons which have been reused as bollards. There are hydraulic capstans either side of the position of the dock gates to No 4 dock that are also dated 1897.

There are a number of features within the footprint of the dock that are not of special interest due to their late date, plain design and level of intactness. The metal barriers composed of reused railway tracks, chain link fence, life ring stands, and metal security fencing attached to the docks do not add to the special interest. Nor do the fragments of the early-C20 dock rail track.*

*Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that the metal reused-railway-track barriers, modern chain link fences, life rings stands, metal security fencing, metal security fencing and the fragments of the early-C20 dock rail track are not of special architectural or historic interest.