Portsmouth Block Mills

Portsmouth Block Mills is a specialized factory within the naval dockyard designed to manufacture wooden pulley blocks using powered machinery. The preserved workshops retain their original layout and mechanical systems that powered industrial production for the Royal Navy.

The mills were built between 1803 and 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars to meet the Navy's urgent equipment needs. They pioneered factory mass production using metal machinery in Britain.

The building shows how British naval engineering shifted from hand craftsmanship to factory production. Visitors can see how the original workshop layout and preserved machinery reveal this transformation in how maritime equipment was made.

The factory sits within Portsmouth Dockyard and keeps its original structure with machinery on view. Access is limited due to ongoing naval operations, so plan ahead to visit.

By 1808 the factory could produce around 130,000 standardized wooden blocks yearly, years before mass manufacturing became widespread. This output was extraordinary for its time and showed how fast mechanized work could be.

Location: City of Portsmouth

GPS coordinates: 50.80350,-1.10934

Latest update: December 7, 2025 20:40