Chain and Cable Test House and Store, Capstan, Chain Haulage-ways on North (Building Number 1/41)

CHAIN AND CABLE TEST HOUSE AND STORE, CAPSTAN, CHAIN HAULAGE-WAYS ON NORTH (BUILDING NUMBER 1/41), SOUTH RAILWAY JETTY

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1272294
Date first listed:
13-Aug-1999
List Entry Name:
Chain and Cable Test House and Store, Capstan, Chain Haulage-ways on North (Building Number 1/41)
Statutory Address:
CHAIN AND CABLE TEST HOUSE AND STORE, CAPSTAN, CHAIN HAULAGE-WAYS ON NORTH (BUILDING NUMBER 1/41), SOUTH RAILWAY JETTY
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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1272294
Date first listed:
13-Aug-1999
List Entry Name:
Chain and Cable Test House and Store, Capstan, Chain Haulage-ways on North (Building Number 1/41)
Statutory Address 1:
CHAIN AND CABLE TEST HOUSE AND STORE, CAPSTAN, CHAIN HAULAGE-WAYS ON NORTH (BUILDING NUMBER 1/41), SOUTH RAILWAY JETTY

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:
CHAIN AND CABLE TEST HOUSE AND STORE, CAPSTAN, CHAIN HAULAGE-WAYS ON NORTH (BUILDING NUMBER 1/41), SOUTH RAILWAY JETTY

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

District:
City of Portsmouth (Unitary Authority)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
SU 62785 00344

Details

SU 6200 SE SOUTH RAILWAY JETTY
HM Naval Base
Chain & Cable Test House & Store,
Capstan, chain Haulage-ways on N
(Building No 1/41)
774-1/18/233

GV II


Naval chain and cable test house and store, with capstan and chain haulage-way on north side. 1844-47, by Captain RS Beatson (Royal Engineers), roof by H Grissell; new annealing house 1866, extended 1879- 80 for more powerful testing machinery; bomb damaged 1940 with much rebuilding subsequently of external structure; floor relaid 1991-92. Red and brown brick in Flemish bond; mid C20 work of pink brick in English and stretcher bonds. Roofs of corrugated metal with long roof lights.
PLAN/ EXTERIOR: large single-storey rectangular structure comprising a number of parallel-roofed ranges with others at right angles. Original circular iron windows, small-pane metal windows with segmental brick arches, stone lintels or mid C20 concrete lintels and sills. Sliding board doors with similar arches/ lintels. On west side, principal range (probably 1879/80 with mid C20 repairs) of 9 bays arranged 2:2:1:2:2 has central door flanked by paired windows with further pairs of windows at each end flanked by broad brick pilasters rising into stepped brick eaves. On north side, 13-bay range on right has 3 doors; from the left- hand door and door of range on left haulage-ways of granite setts run out of the building towards a waisted, turning bollard.
INTERIOR: a cast-iron frame of 2 aisles of Tuscan columns on plinths to I-section beams and tied at three-quarter height by segmental-arched ties with moulded spandrels, support roof trusses with paired wrought-iron ties and decorative cast-iron struts. Floor is of wooden blocks and granite setts, and has haulage-ways of iron ballast castings bearing arrowhead design and letters "PO". There are turning bollards, formerly operated by the 2 capstans, and an inspection pit. HISTORY: the first testing and storage facility for iron cables, introduced into the navy from 1830s. Principally chain storage space, with E testing house, N junk (worn cable) store, S painting shop and chain cleaning shop, with annealing furnace; a new annealing house was added 1866 and new test house with more powerful testing machinery in 1880. The iron ballast castings bore the Portsmouth Dockyard identification motif so that commercial dockyards undertaking refitting would know where to return the ballast. A remarkable survival of interest as an example of fire proof design which clearly manifests its unique purpose. Beatson was also responsible for the Fire Stations and No.6 Boat Store at Portsmouth (qqv). (Sources: The Portsmouth Papers: Riley RC: The Evolution of the Docks and Industrial Buildings in Portsmouth: Portsmouth: 1985: 15-16 ; Evans D: The Buildings of the Steam Navy: 1994: 6-8).


Listing NGR: SU6299200361

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
476681
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Evans, D, The Buildings of the Steam Navy, (1994), 6-8
Riley, R C, The Portsmouth Papers in The Evolution of the Docks and Industrial Buildings in Portsmouth, (1985), 15-16

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 Chain and Cable Test House and Store, Capstan, Chain Haulage-ways on North (Building Number 1/41)

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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