Taylor's Boatyard (including Former Flat Shed, Narrowboat Shed, Former Steam Saw Mill, Blacksmith's Workshop/Forge, Carpenter's Workshop, Paint Workshop, Stores, Warehouse/Office Range and Dry Dock/Gr, Chester, Cheshire West and Chester

Summary

Canal boatyard, mid-C19 with later additions and alterations, built for the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company. Mainly single-storey buildings of timber and cast-iron construction, some brickwork, slate roofs.

Description

PLAN: Taylor's Boatyard consists of a series of buildings aligned in a linear plan alongside the western side of the Shropshire Union Canal near to Chester city centre, with a further detached building comprising the former steam saw mill set to the north side of an internal yard area. At the southern end of the site a covered dry dock sits on a spit of land set in between the canal link to the River Dee and the Shropshire Union Canal, adjacent to a late-C18/early-C19 graving lock, which is separately listed at Grade II. A roving bridge, which sits to the north-east of the dry dock is also separately listed at Grade II.

EXTERIOR: All the buildings on the site are single-storey (some of the single-storey sheds incorporate loft-style mezzanines), except the 2-storey warehouse/office range. The western walls of the former steam saw mill, blacksmith's forge, carpenter's shed, paint shed, stores and warehouse/office range are formed by a mellow red-brick boundary wall on this side that is believed to be one of the earliest features on the site, with a probable early-mid C19 date, and which incorporates some late-C19 window openings. Some of the timber and metalwork, such as door latches etc on the site are stamped with the initials 'SUCo' and 'L&NWR'.

FORMER FLAT SHED: The 10-bay former flat builders' shed (a shed used for building flats i.e. broad canal boats), which is in separate ownership to the rest of the site, lies at the northern end of the site and was originally open-sided. The shed has a pitched slate roof carried on cast-iron columns that incorporates a series of skylights (now covered by corrugated metal sheeting). Vertical weatherboarding exists to the gable ends. The eastern side of the building, facing the Shropshire Union Canal, incorporates panelled blue-brick end bays with sandstone ashlar bands. The centre bays, which were originally open to the canal and would have originally included a slipway (now removed), are linked by a cast-iron latticework girder and now contain blockwork in-filling the space underneath the latticework. The western side of the building also now has later blockwork in-filling, along with some vertical weatherboarding and full-height timber double doors.

NARROWBOAT SHED: The 12-bay narrowboat shed is attached to the south gable end of the former flat shed and is similarly styled, but lower in height and without brick end bays. The shed, which is used for boat repairs and maintenance and incorporates slipways, is open-sided and is covered by a pitched slate roof incorporating repaired skylights. Vertical weatherboarding exists to the south gable and north gable end (the latter incorporating a series of windows and doors providing access and viewing into the former flat shed). The south gable end also incorporates a hoist beam with a pulley above a mezzanine loft loading door, which is accessed by an external timber dog-leg stair, which is in the process of being repaired. The southern 6-bays of the building are aligned at an angle, forming a dog-leg shape where the Shropshire Union Canal widens to form a basin. The roof, which consists of a series of timber queen-post trusses with supporting angle struts at each side, is supported by cast-iron brackets and cast-iron columns, which are paired at the change in axis and linked by quadrant brackets. The eastern side of the shed does not have intermediate columns and, in common with the adjacent former flat shed, it incorporates a latticework girder just below the eaves line. The western side of the shed, which faces into the internal yard area, incorporates a column to each bay.

FORMER STEAM SAW MILL: The former steam saw mill is set to the north side of the internal yard area and consists of two parallel ranges with pitched slate roofs incorporating skylights; the east range also has a gabled ventilator. Vertical weatherboarding exists to the gables, which also incorporate windows and a small loading door (the latter being included on the north side and accessing an internal mezzanine loft space). The former saw mill is believed to have originally been open-sided and open-ended beneath the weatherboarding to enable logs to be transferred into the mill easily, and was later enclosed in brick to the side walls and in further weatherboarding to the lower sections of the gable ends. Attached to the two south gable ends are lower lean-tos with windows and doorways; the doorway to the east range is much larger and has a sliding door. The eastern range is longer at the southern end and incorporates a later red-brick, lean-to extension attached to the major part of the east elevation (in the form of a continuous outshut) with two plank and batten doors and two windows. Attached to the north end of the east elevation is a brick fire-pump chamber that originally contained a fire pump (now removed), which would have been used to extinguish fires around the yard; the chamber has an elliptical vaulted roof and a segmental-arched opening to the east side.

BLACKSMITH'S WORKSHOP/FORGE: Set to the western side of the internal yard area, below the former steam saw mill, is a 3-bay, red-brick workshop/forge with a principal east elevation facing into the internal yard, and incorporating a central doorway with a segmental-arched head and sliding timber doors. The doorway is flanked by tall, multipaned windows with segmental-arched heads and cast-iron frames. The forge has a dentil eaves and a pitched roof (at the time of writing, the roof is due to be re-slated), along with two square, end-wall stacks with blue-brick banding; the north one of which is currently truncated, but is due to be rebuilt. The north wall stack incorporates an external fireplace and an adjacent former copper.

CARPENTER'S WORKSHOP, PAINT WORKSHOP & STORES: Attached to the south gable end of the forge is a narrow linear range of three buildings comprising the carpenter's workshop, paint workshop and stores set underneath a single roof. Each building has weatherboarding to their east elevation (that to the carpenter's workshop is currently being replaced and repaired at the time of writing), along with a series of doorways and multipaned windows. Both the paint workshop and stores have fire bucket hooks attached to their yard facing elevations. N.B. The modern OS map depicts a range or canopy to the right of the carpenter's workshop, which connects to the narrowboat shed. This is no longer extant and has therefore not been marked up on the List entry's accompanying map.

WAREHOUSE/OFFICE RANGE: Lying at the southern end of the site is a 2-storey, 8-bay range that originally acted as a warehouse and offices for the boatyard and basin, and is now used as office and workshop space. The range has a slate roof and is constructed of mellow red brick, which is whitewashed at ground floor level. Some of the windows have cast-iron frames and all of the window openings, and two of the doorways, on the principal east elevation facing the canal have segment-arched heads; the exception being a later inserted doorway to bay 3. The ground-floor arrangements are as follows: two 16-pane windows to bays 1 and 2 (that to bay 1 incorporates a single pane opening); a later inserted doorway to bay 3; a small-pane window to bay 4 with three larger upper panes; framed-and-boarded double doors to bay 5 set within an opening incorporating black-painted hinge-stones; a window to bay 6 in the same style as that to bay 4; a divided door to bay 7 incorporating 8-pane glazing to the upper part and set within an opening incorporating black-painted hinge-stones; and a 16-pane horizontally sliding sash window to bay 8. The first floor has four windows set to bays 2, 4, 5, and 8, and a further window set in between bays 6 & 7; all with replaced frames and glazing. The north gable end has a plank and batten door and a small-pane, cast-iron window to the ground floor, and a divided door to the first floor, which is set beneath a projecting timber beam (in the style of a hoist beam) with a cast-iron ring underneath, which is believed to have originally been linked to a bell that the time keeper would ring; the door is accessed by the same stair accessing the narrowboat shed's mezzanine loft. Both gable ends are styled as dentillated broken pediments; that to the south is interrupted by a later wall stack. To the first-floor left of the stack is an arched window with replaced glazing. A doorway exists to the ground-floor right of the south gable end and attached in front to the left is a single-storey, gabled outshut constructed of whitewashed brick with two doorways and a blocked-up window to the south gable end. Attached to the rear (west side) of the range, and forming part of the boundary wall, is a single-storey lean-to outshut with a series of window openings at the southern end. Above and behind, to the first floor of the main part of the range, are altered window openings with replaced frames and glazing, and a wall stack.

DRY DOCK/GRAVING DOCK: Set to the south-east of the boatyard's main buildings, at the northern end of a spit of land separating the Shropshire Union Canal from a canal link to the River Dee, is a covered dry dock (also known as a graving dock). The dock, which can accommodate a single wide beam boat placed centrally or two narrowboats side by side, has a brick floor and brick lower walls, with large sandstone blocks forming the upper parts of the side walls and the curved end walls; all of which are battered. A pair of lock gates are situated at the north end of the dock, whilst at the south end is a flight of twelve brick steps with stone treads that lead down onto the dock floor, which incorporates a brick drainage channel that runs around the edge. Timber bearers for the boats are located on the floor, and set to the south-west corner of the dock is a steel shutter leading to a sluiceway. The hipped, slate-roof canopy was added later and consists of a series of light iron trusses set upon a massive timber roof/wall-plate, which is supported by six cast-iron columns set to each side of the dock (some of the columns on the west side are encased) and an additional column at the centre of the south end; original rooflights have since been removed, but are due to be re-instated. Attached to the west side of the dry dock's roof-canopy is a C20 brick and weatherboarded lean-to.

EXCLUDED SUBSIDIARY FEATURE: located at the far north end of the site alongside Cambrian Road is a detached section of the boatyard's probable early-mid C19 boundary wall which, in accordance with s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, is excluded from the boatyard's listing because of its level of alteration and loss of context.

INTERIOR:

FORMER FLAT SHED & NARROWBOAT SHED: Internally the former flat shed is similarly styled to the narrowboat shed with a roof composed of timber queen-post trusses with supporting angle struts at each side supported by cast-iron brackets and cast-iron columns (now encased) to each bay on the west side. The shed has a later concrete floor and originally had a mezzanine loft level where the shapes of the frames and the planks for flats were marked out prior to cutting, but the floor and lower section of an access stair have since been removed. However, the upper section of a pitch-pine ramp stair survives and connects with a doorway in the shed's south gable end containing plank and batten double doors, which leads into a mezzanine loft space located at the northern end of the neighbouring narrowboat shed. The former flat shed's south gable end has further doorways and windows at ground-floor level, providing access and viewing between the two buildings. The narrowboat shed's timber mezzanine loft space is also believed to have originally been used as a pattern floor, but is now used for storage, and is accessed via the use of a modern ladder. A further mezzanine loft lies to the southern end of the narrowboat shed .

FORMER STEAM SAW MILL: The former steam saw mill is now used as a workshop and for storage. Its steam engine has been removed, although flues denote its original positioning. The building has raised timber and concrete floors, and some areas of flooring are composed of metal boat keel panels. The two parallel roofs are both composed of timber king-post trusses supported by timber posts; some timbers within the building incorporate scarf joints in the same style as those used in boat construction. The west range incorporates a timber mezzanine loft space accessed by a timber stair with no balustrade. Coke and sawdust pits are believed to survive underneath the floors.

BLACKSMITH'S WORKSHOP/FORGE: At the time of writing the interior of the blacksmith's workshop/forge is in the process of being restored. It has a king-post truss roof and the remains of forges exist to each end of the interior. A metal crane, which was used to transfer objects in and out of the forges, is attached to the centre of the west wall. Two massive early bellows survive in storage on the site.

CARPENTER'S WORKSHOP, PAINT WORKSHOP & STORES: The carpenter's shed, paint shed and stores are simple structures with brick and stone floors; the floor of the carpenter's shed also incorporates timbers that boat keels would have originally attached to in order to facilitate work on the boats. Some of the carpenter's shed's roof timbers also originate from boats, and located to the southern end is an oakum loft/rack that was used for applying sealant (oakum is teased-out hemp that was rolled out and used to seal joints, and the rack has the same appearance as a horse manger).

WAREHOUSE/OFFICE RANGE: Internally the warehouse/office range has been altered and sub-divided, but retains its steep timber stair flights and roof structure incorporating king post trusses.

History

The Chester Canal was instigated in 1772 and completed in 1779 to link the River Dee with Nantwich. In 1790-1805 the Ellesmere Canal (Wirral Line) connected Chester with the River Mersey and trade greatly increased; growing further in 1835 when the canals were connected by the Birmingham & Liverpool Junction Canal and the Middlewich Branch Canal to the industrial Midlands and the Staffordshire Potteries. In 1846 the canals became part of the Shropshire Union Canal, which in turn became part of the London & North Western Railway (L&NWR) in 1846/7.

Taylor's Boatyard forms part of Chester's inland port, known as 'Tower Wharf', at the once busy junction of the Chester Canal with the River Dee and the Wirral Line. The wharf was a major cargo terminal, utilising narrowboats and larger 'Mersey Flats', and was also a starting point for passengers travelling to Liverpool. Many of the wharf's buildings and features have since been lost or built upon.

Taylor's Boatyard was established in the late-1840s/1850s by the Shropshire Union Railways & Canal Company as their major boat building and repair yard, and the majority of the yard's surviving buildings are believed to have been constructed at this time. Originally the boatyard was larger with a slipway building, travelling crane, and rack saw structures all located at the north end of the present site, but these have since been demolished, along with part of the boundary wall.

The boatyard has been added to, and altered, incrementally since its original construction in keeping with the varying trade and development of boatyards and their work, with the flat shed added in the late-C19 (c1892-3), along with the carpenter's shed, paint shed and stores, and erection of the dry dock/graving dock's canopy was approved in 1888. Although Pevsner assigns a date of 1798 to the dry dock, it is believed that it dates to the mid-C19 (it is not depicted on an historic map dating to 1833, but is depicted on the tithe map of 1847). All of the buildings, except the flat shed remain in active use, although not all in their original function. The flat shed was used as a fish processing factory in the mid-late C20 and has been derelict since. The warehouse/office range was partly used as a stable in the c1980s. JH Taylor, who lends his name to the boatyard, leased the boatyard from 1926 -1972.

Reasons for Listing

Taylor's Boatyard (including the former flat shed, narrowboat shed, steam saw mill, blacksmith's forge, carpenter's shed, paint shed, stores, warehouse/office range and dry dock) is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Building type: it is a good example of a mid-C19 boat-building and repair yard that was further developed and expanded in the late-C19/early-C20 and still remains in active use;

* Historic interest: it was established by the Shropshire Union Railways & Canal Company as their major boat building and repair yard and is one of the last physical reminders of Chester's inland port, known as 'Tower Wharf', which was a major cargo terminal utilising narrowboats and larger 'Mersey Flats', and also a starting point for passengers travelling to Liverpool;

* Architectural interest: the yard's architecture, including latticework girders and canopy roofs supported by cast-iron columns, reflects its ownership by a railway company;

* Survival: despite some losses and later alteration, overall the yard survives with a high level of completeness.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.