Dry Dock South Of Engine House Including Crane

The dry dock south of the Engine House, built between 1852 and 1853 by William Guest for the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal Company, is a significant structure. It features a brick-lined basin with stone kerbs and a protective railing made of slender cast-iron bollards connected by pairs of pipe rails. Access to the dock is from the south-west side of the Main Basin through a pair of timber gates topped with footbridges. The sides and semicircular end of the dock basin have continuous stepped revetments, and there is an iron crane from the late 19th century. This dry dock was constructed to enable the repair of vessels and the export of coal from Gloucester, allowing for local repairs instead of relying on South Wales ports. Original drawings of the dock can be found in the Gloucestershire Records Office.