History in Structure

Covered Slip (S 180)

A Grade II* Listed Building in Devonport, City of Plymouth

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Coordinates

Latitude: 50.3653 / 50°21'55"N

Longitude: -4.1785 / 4°10'42"W

OS Eastings: 245159

OS Northings: 53981

OS Grid: SX451539

Mapcode National: GBR R4D.CG

Mapcode Global: FRA 2842.FZ8

Plus Code: 9C2Q9R8C+4J

Entry Name: Covered Slip (S 180)

Listing Date: 13 August 1999

Grade: II*

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1388431

English Heritage Legacy ID: 476442

Also known as: Slip No 1 (The Covered Slip), South Yard, Devonport Dockyard
Covered Slip Number 1, Devonport
Number 1 Covered Slip

ID on this website: 101388431

Location: Mount Wise, Plymouth, Devon, PL1

County: City of Plymouth

Electoral Ward/Division: Devonport

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: Plymouth

Traditional County: Devon

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Devon

Tagged with: Slipway Architectural structure

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Description


SX 4554 SW PLYMOUTH SOUTH YARD, Devonport Dockyard

740-1/98/215 No.1 Covered Slip (5 180)

GV II*


Slip and slip cover. 1770s slip, cover 1814 designed by Sir Robert Seppings. Timber frame with metal sheet mansard roof, and limestone and granite slip. Apsidal aisled plan. Open E gable formed by one of the frames, the S side open below the roof, the N side butts against the Dockyard retaining wall (qv). The slip has raking sides and curved end with two steps, with the entrance opening into the river.
INTERIOR: timber frame has composite stanchions to cantilevered principal rafters which extend out each side, with raking braces and braced horizontal collars, and 2 outer struts.
HISTORY: covers for slips were introduced into Naval dockyards to protect wooden ships during construction, and "between 1814 and 1821 most of the dry docks and all the slips (at Devonport) had graceful timber framed housings added" (Coad). Two survive here and the largest one is at Chatham (qv). They were when built the widest span roofs in Britain, and the widest in the world except for riding schools in Germany and Russia. As such they prefigured the iron slip covers of the 1840s, and subsequent railway sheds.
(Sources: The Newcommen Society: Sutherland RFM: Shipbuilding and the Long Span Roof: London: 1989: 7; Coad J: Historic Architecture of the Royal Navy: London: 1983: 71).


Listing NGR: SX4515953981

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