DOCK In 1783 Smeaton was asked to design a dock for occasionally taking in vessels for repair. His design for the 'dry or Graving Dock' with stone walls and a timber base was accepted. The floor was to comprise double-timber enclosed in 3 inch thick, tongue-and-grooved plank piling set into which was a 4 inch diameter non return valve, made of beech or yew. On 31st July 1784 the first stone for the walls was laid and by August 1786 the dock was complete. Despite an abortive attempt by Henry Cull (the mason) to alter the design and incorporate a stone (instead of timber) floor, the dock was eventually modified back to Smeaton’s original design, by 1791.