J-Shed Warehouse

Location

Situated at the W quayside of Prince of Wales Dock on the narrow neck of land between the River Tawe and the dock.

History

Large late C19 dockside warehouse built c1895 on W end of Prince of Wales dock. The dock was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales, in 1881.

Exterior

2-sWarehouse, red brick with slate roof, two storeys, long range with nogged brick cornice, and seventeen bays alternated. Each alternate bay is recessed with raised plinth, two windows each floor with cambered heads and fixed small-paned iron glazing. every other bay has broad doorway each floor with cambered arched heads, 4-ring arches to ground floor, 3-ring above. On W side first bay has a first floor door instead of a window to left. On E dockyard side the original sliding doors survive to five of the ground floor entries. End walls are broad and almost without openings, N end has inserted sliding doors, S end has two low doors and one to first floor right, all with steel lintels. Cantilevered canopy over part of dockside ground-floor elevation (shown in 1896 photo in Port Register) is now removed. The S gable was orginally connected to the former tinplate and general merchandise shed (now removed).

Interior

FirFireproof construction with vaulted (shuttered?) concrete arches set between lateral steel beams supported by steel rivetted piers with latticework infill panels. Concrete flooring. Undivided upper floor with slender steel tie-beam trusses and rivetted brace-plates. Long timber purlins to close-boarded timber roof.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as a very rare dockside warehouse of monumental concrete, brick and steel construction dating from the greatest age (c1900) of dock expansion in south Wales.