Mystery of the Victorian Swan-neck Crane of Esplanade Quay, Dover Marina, Kent, UK

The above 19th Century hand-driven rotary crane with its swan-necked jib is located on the southern side of the non-tidal Wellington Dock in Dover Marina on Esplanade Quay, once called Ordnance Quay.

The mystery concerns whether or not this Victorian crane is a "small hand-driven rotatory crane", as described in the English Heritage "Listed Building" text for Wellington Dock, or a decommissioned steam-driven crane whose performance specification was downgraded at some unknown point in the past, perhaps when the power unit was removed.

The question of the crane's original power source arose as a result of resolving the manufacturer's name: English Heritage state, "It was built by the Fairburn Engineering Co. of Manchester in 1868", while the nameplate is inscribed with, "The Fairbairn Engineering Company, Limited. Manchester" (founded by William Fairbairn, later Sir William Fairbairn, 1st Baronet of Ardwick).

Full story on the photo's original webpage at:

Mystery of the Victorian Swan-neck Crane of Esplanade Quay, Dover Marina

John Latter / Jorolat

Dover Blog (Social Psychology)