17380

 

II  

Designated  

03/10/1996  

18/04/1997  

Dock System at Y Felinheli  

 

Gwynedd  

Y Felinheli  

Y Felinheli  

Y Felinheli  

252786  

367930  

 

Below village of Felinheli, aligned roughly E-W, curving slightly to follow line of natural inlet, the whole system some 500m long.  

Maritime  

 

Complete dock system of 1900-02, with entrance lock, long dock crossed by swing-bridge and graving-dock at upper end, converted from a tidal inlet of Afon Heilyn, previously partially used as a quay. The system was to cost £18,527 in 1899, Philip Ayres, engineer, lock-gates and cast-iron bollards by Cleghorn & Wilkinson, Northwich. Port Dinorwic was successively developed and enlarged from the 1790's by the Assheton-Smith family of Vaynol, owners of the Dinorwic slate quarry, Llanberis. Their quarries produced by late 1890's almost one quarter of rhe entire output of Welsh slate. The outer end of the system probably incorporates stonework from the quays of the 1820s.  

Dock system of 1900-1902, approx 500m long, following line of former natural inlet. At outer (W) end of system is entrance lock in dressed grey stone; 2 lock gates in wood with walkways over having railings consisting of iron posts and chains. Inner dock walls in red brick with massive stone capstones and dressings (some capstones replaced in concrete); ladders set into dock sides. Dock broadens inside lock before narrowing at draw-bridge. Steel draw-bridge pivots at S end (now electrically powered); sloping parapets become (at S end) semi-circular with teeth which engage in raising mechanism. E of drawbridge, the dock curves and varies in width, following line of the natural inlet. At inner end of system, is dry dock, or graving-dock, sealed by steel caisson. Dry-dock has stepped side-walls and polygonal E end.  

 

A remarkable example of a complete dock-system built to service a Welsh industry of world importance.