Scheduled MonumentsEnglandPortsmouth Dockyard, the Block Mills and Stores 35 and 36

Portsmouth Dockyard, the Block Mills and Stores 35 and 36

England
List entry 1001851
Nation
England
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

The Block Mills at Portsmouth Dockyard is a late eighteenth-century industrial building constructed between 1801 and 1807 to house machinery for the mass production of wooden pulley blocks essential to naval rigging. Designed by Samuel Bentham and Marc Isambard Brunel, the building represents a pioneering application of mechanised manufacturing to naval supply and stands as one of the earliest purpose-built factories in Britain. The structure comprises substantial brick construction with cast-iron internal framing, reflecting the technological innovations of the Napoleonic period. Stores 35 and 36, integral parts of the wider dockyard complex, date from the early nineteenth century and served as storage facilities within the operational naval establishment.

Portsmouth Dockyard, the Block Mills and Stores 35 and 36 is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1001851. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Portsmouth Dockyard, the Block Mills and Stores 35 and 36?

The Block Mills at Portsmouth Dockyard is a late eighteenth-century industrial building constructed between 1801 and 1807 to house machinery for the mass production of wooden pulley blocks essential to naval rigging. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1001851.

Who is responsible for protecting Portsmouth Dockyard, the Block Mills and Stores 35 and 36?

Portsmouth Dockyard, the Block Mills and Stores 35 and 36 is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1001851.

What other scheduled monuments are near Portsmouth Dockyard, the Block Mills and Stores 35 and 36?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gunboat Traverser System (2.2 km), Southsea Castle (3.1 km), Fort Monckton (3.5 km).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Portsmouth Dockyard, the Block Mills and Stores 35 and 36