Harbour Walls of old harbour

The harbour walls of the old harbour date from the late 18th century and early 19th century. They are constructed from stone with battered faces, featuring long slabs of stone and large natural boulders that are vertically aligned. The walls connect vertical rock faces along the western side of the harbour and create a continuous face on the eastern side, which has a level quayside adjacent to it. Many stretches of the wall are topped with large stone slabs. At the far northern end of the western side, there is a rubble-built long drop privy made of large stones, which now has a modern single-pitched slate roof.

The harbour consists of two main parts: the Upper Basin, or inner harbour, located at the southern end, and the Lower Basin, or outer harbour, to the north. The Upper Basin features a narrow inlet that leads down to a slipway at the southern end and has seen significant industrial development along both the western and eastern sides. The inlet was widened at the northern end to create docking areas, and part of the western side formed a bay for a ship-building yard. Beyond the docking areas, the channel narrows, creating a division between the inner and outer harbours, which could be completely blocked off to provide a safe haven during severe storms.

The Lower Basin, or outer harbour, is the seaward area located north of the narrow division. Here, the harbour widens, and 'new' piers were constructed along the western side and extending from the eastern side, as shown on the Francis map of 1828. The eastern pier at the northern end of the outer harbour is listed separately.