Walls and Gates of the Boat Basin, Docks Number 4 5 and Slipway

WALLS AND GATES OF THE BOAT BASIN, DOCKS NUMBER 4 5 AND SLIPWAY, ANCHOR LANE

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1255552
Date first listed:
15-Mar-1977
List Entry Name:
Walls and Gates of the Boat Basin, Docks Number 4 5 and Slipway
Statutory Address:
WALLS AND GATES OF THE BOAT BASIN, DOCKS NUMBER 4 5 AND SLIPWAY, ANCHOR LANE

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Location

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Date:
2001-06-18
Reference:
IOE01/04287/23
Rights:
© Mr Ian Surita. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1255552
Date first listed:
15-Mar-1977
Date of most recent amendment:
13-Aug-1999
List Entry Name:
Walls and Gates of the Boat Basin, Docks Number 4 5 and Slipway
Statutory Address 1:
WALLS AND GATES OF THE BOAT BASIN, DOCKS NUMBER 4 5 AND SLIPWAY, ANCHOR LANE

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
WALLS AND GATES OF THE BOAT BASIN, DOCKS NUMBER 4 5 AND SLIPWAY, ANCHOR LANE

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Kent
District:
Swale (District Authority)
Parish:
Sheerness
National Grid Reference:
TQ 90853 75334

Details

TQ 9075 SE ANCHOR LANE
Sheerness Dockyard
933/5/111
Walls and gates of the Boat
15.03.1977 Basin, docks numbers 4, 5 and
Slipway

GV II*


Walls and gates of basin, dry and graving dock and slipway, and c60 cast- iron bollards around the docks. c1814, by John Rennie Snr, for the Navy Board, altered early C20. Rusticated granite ashlar and cast-iron gates and caissons. PLAN: square wet basin with parallel docks and slip along the E side, the dry dock to the S, graving to the middle, and the building slip to the N. The dry dock (No.4) has stepped sides in two sections, two slides on each side, and curved head, with Rennie's original curved iron inner gates, and an iron outer caisson. The graving dock (No.5) has a wide, flat floor with steep C20 concrete sides and end having been extended, and an 1866 iron caisson by Easton and Anderson; the slip a sloping stone floor with low stepped sides and rails for a boat carriage. Mooring bollards inscribed John Sturges & Co, Bowling Ironworks, Near Bradford, Yorkshire. HISTORY: the whole dockyard was a notable feat of marine engineering, with all the masonry carried on piles, and it represented the greatest piece of dock engineering by one of the great engineers of the C19. The No.4 frigate dry dock is of the type Rennie pioneered at Chatham No.3 dry dock in c1821 (qv), but was the first dry dock to be fitted with iron gates. The survival of the gates makes No.4 dock a uniquely complete example ofearlyC19 dock technology, which Rennie perfected and refined. Unlike the other royal dockyards, Sheerness was all rebuilt at the same time, and with the infilling of the Great and Small Basins, this is the last remaining operative dock from Rennie's model layout. It forms a group with the later Boat Store and Buildings 84 and 86 (qqv), within Rennie's model layout of a complete early C19 dockyard. (Sources: Coad J: The Royal Dockyards 1690-1850: Aldershot: 1989: 107; Rennie Sir J: The Formation and Construction of British and Foreign Harbours: London: 1851 ; Sheerness, The Dockyard, Defences and Blue Town: 1995:1).

Listing NGR: TQ9085375334

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
459883
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
RCHME, , Sheerness: The Dockyard Defences and Blue Town, (March 1995), 1
Coad, J G, The Royal Dockyards 1690-1850: Architecture and Engineering Works of the Sailing Navy, (1989), 107
Rennie, J, The Formation and Construction of British and Foreign Harbours, (1851)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Walls and Gates of the Boat Basin, Docks Number 4 5 and Slipway

Map

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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