The Yard

On the banks of the River Itchen sits James’ Wharf, an historic boatyard within Ocean Quay. The site has been brought back into use through careful restoration and now acts as the base for Calshot. It has been shaped by the people who work within it and by the projects that pass through it.

Every aspect has been considered. Reclaimed timber and salvaged brick reflect the industrial character of the buildings and the quality of the work taking place inside them. It is a yard with history and purpose, made for the work it supports.

History

James’ Wharf was built in the 1870s by the London and South Western Railway as a repair depot for cross-channel steamers. Land was reclaimed from the River Itchen to house a dry dock which opened in 1877. The depot handled ferry maintenance, cargo work and commercial shipping for decades. In the early twentieth century, it was sold into private ownership and continued as a site for marine repair and conversion. In 2018, Calshot took on the site and built on its industrial legacy, shaping it into a home for restoration, fabrication and design.

Facilities

Calshot operates across more than two and a half acres with over six thousand square metres of covered workspace. The site includes the last working dry dock in Southampton at sixty metres in length, alongside a one hundred and ten metre wet dock with deep water access and additional capacity through a floating dock.

The yard houses open workshop spaces for joinery, fabrication, marine engineering, painting and mechanical systems. Specialist areas and a dedicated design and CAD department allow for large-scale and complex projects to be delivered within a single, connected site.