Graving Dock No.2

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An early nineteenth century graving dock, which is still in use, aligned E-W at right angles to the W side of Clarendon Dock north of the earlier no.1 graving dock (see HB26/50/090B).

It is of sub-rectangular plan, with a rounded W end and lock gate at its E end for access to/from Clarendon Dock. Its N, W and S sides comprise sandstone steps running down to the dock’s flat bottom. These were used for timber props whilst vessels were in dock. Unlike no.1 dock, however, the rises on these steps are both sloped and deeper, with a slightly wider ‘step’ towards the bottom.

There are inclined slides down the sides which were used to bring equipment and materials to/from the bottom of the dock during ship repairs. There are two such slides at the W end, and one along the middle of each side. Alongside each slide is a flight of steps running down to the bottom of the dock, each with a single-bar metal handrail. The middle slide on the N side and one of the pair at the W end have metal chain guards along the dock's edge (but winches no longer present). The middle stairs on both sides have quarter-turn balconies; these are of concrete and obviously later modifications of the original stairs. There are also stairs down at the E and W ends of the N and S sides.

At the seaward (E) end of the dock is a pair of slightly curved timber lock gates. A cantilevered metal footway runs across the tops of the gates on their outside faces, with a five-bar steel handrail on either side. Apart from facilitating movement to both sides of the dock, the footplates also give access to threaded rods for opening and closing the two vertical sluices in each gate for filling the dock once a vessel is inside and the gates shut.

Each gate is closed by means of a hand winch mounted on its dock side and opened by a corresponding winch on its seaward side. Unlike no.1 dock, the chain connecting each winch to its gate is ducted through an underground culvert which comes out the side of the dock below the water line.

The side walls on the seaward side of the gates are of sandstone blocks laid to courses and with recesses to accommodate the gates. Each recess also has smaller recesses to accommodate the sluice gate mechanisms.

At the very outside end of the side walls are vertical slots for stop timbers which were dropped into place when the gates required attention. There is a depth gauge calibrated in metres and decimetres.

A safety railing runs round the dock; it comprises two detachable chains supported on slender cast-iron posts.
There are low cast-metal mooring bollards around the sides of the dock. Along its S side are four swan-neck cast-iron lamp standards. They were originally lit by gas but are now electrified. There is also a modern lamp standard at SE.
In later years (and still), the dock has been emptied by an electric pump housed in a small building just S of the E end of the dock (see below).

Setting

To immediate E of graving dock is Clarendon Dock, from which there is a lock connection to Belfast Lough. The former pump house, subsequently refurbished as offices for Laganside Corporation, is aligned parallel with the dock on its S side (HB26/50/090A). The area to the S of the dock has been paved with sandstone flags; granite cobbles are used to deck its N side. Several modern buildings have been erected just beyond the N side. At the SE end is an 8.3m high bronze and stainless steel sculpture entitled ‘Dividers’ by Vivien Burnside. It was commissioned by Laganside Corporation and erected in 2002. The present functioning pump house (HB26/50/090E) is between the E ends of the two docks.

Historical information

No.2 graving dock was constructed for the Belfast Ballast Board by Messrs Henry, Mullins & McMahon (one of the leading contractors in Ireland at that time), under the supervision of David Logan and to a design by Thomas Burnett. It opened in 1826 and, at 285ft by 34ft, is slightly larger that No.1 dock, which was constructed by William Ritchie between 1796 and 1800 (see HB26/50/090B).

In 1850-51, the Clarendon Dock was built by the Belfast Harbour Commissioners (the successors of the Belfast Ballast Board) on the seaward side of the graving docks. This is a wet dock with a sea lock separating it from the tideway. This dock is shown on the 1858 OS map and subsequent editions. It is named after George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon, who was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1847 to 1852.

In the late 1990s, the entrance walls to no.1 dock were underpinned. No.2 dock is still in use by the Belfast Harbour Commissioners for the inspection, painting and repair of small vessels.

Primary Sources:
1. PRONI OS/6/1/61/1. OS 1:10,560 map Co Antrim, sheet 61 (1832-33).
2. PRONI OS/8/30/1A/23. OS 1:1056 map, Belfast sheet 23 (1858).
3. PRONI OS/8/30/3/23. OS 1:1056 map, Belfast sheet 23 (1883-84).

Secondary Sources:
1. R. Sweetnam & C. Nimmons, The Port of Belfast 1785-1985, pp 4 and 7 (Belfast: Harbour Commissioners, 1985).
2. R.C. Cox & M.H. Gould, Civil Engineering Heritage: Ireland, pp 133-134 (London: Thomas Telford, 1998).
3. Works Engineer, Belfast Harbour Commissioners (August 2012).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

One of two small masonry graving docks constructed by the Belfast Ballast Board, this dock being the later of the two, dating from the 1820s, some 30 years after No 1 Dock was constructed. The docks are fine examples of 18th and early 19th century dock technology and present interesting contrasts in the detailing of their construction (e.g. Along the sides, shape of the locks gates and routing of the gates’ closing mechanisms). Their relatively small scale (by today’s standards) reflects the size of vessels at that time. The fact that No 2 Dock is larger than No1 reflects the ever growing size of shipping, a trend that is even more clearly evident in the subsequent Hamilton, Alexandra, and Thompson docks etc. The establishment of these docks laid the foundations of a ship building industry which, in the form of Harland & Wolff on the Co Down side of the river, was to rise to international importance. Both graving docks are scheduled rather than listed, as a more appropriate form of protection.