Smith's Dock, Number 6 Graving Dock

Dock No. 6 is skewed at c.65 degrees to the riverside. It is of concrete construction with straight sides and a curving and summetrical forward end. It has four sets of stairs. The gates are asymmetric and constructed of riveted, curved, steel plate with walkway over. The head of the dock is also asymmetric. The pump house for No.6 Dock was linked to the new No.5 Dock in 1929. Present dimensions- 167.7m x 21.6m x 6.55m deep. 'The existing pumping installation for No. 6 Dock will be utilised for emptying the new dock (No.5) and in order to achieve this purpose it has been necessary to tunnel through 10ft of solid concrete into the existing well under the pump room and fit two new 60-in. sluice valves, one for either dock, hydraulically operated from the pump room….With a vessel of about 10,000 tons in either dock No.5 or 6 it will be possible to empty the dock in about three-quarters of an hour.' (Smith's Dock Journal Sept 1929). The dock was recorded in 2005.