Willington Quay, Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co Ltd Shipyard

HER Number:
2104

District:
N Tyneside

Site Name:
Willington Quay, Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co Ltd Shipyard

Place:
Willington Quay

Map Sheet:
NZ36NW

Class:
Maritime

Site Type: Broad:
Marine Construction Site

Site Type: Specific:
Shipyard

General Period:
Early Modern

Specific Period:
C19

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
A shipyard extending over four acres had been set up to the east of the Willington Slipway yard by a Thomas Adamson in 1852. This yard passed through a number of owners in the 1850s and 60s, including the Marshall Bros. of South Shields and W B Hornsby of Sunderland. In 1871, it was bought by the Cole Bros. for whom the yard was managed from 1871 until 1876 by W J Bone, who then bought the yard and set up the Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. The Coles’ had initiated iron construction at the yard, the main types of vessel being tramps, colliers and oil tankers. Bone remained in charge until 1901 when J Bourn took over as manager and remained in charge until the yard’s closure in the 1930s. Over 200 ships were produced by the yard, including the Elbruz, its last pre-war vessel, which was the first motor driven tanker constructed on the Tyne. Armstrong Whitworth bought the yard in 1928 and operated up to final closure in 1933, when it was soldn to National Shipbuilders security Ltd. The yard was demolished in 1935. Few, if any signs of it remain.

Easting:
3241

Northing:
6616

Grid Reference:
NZ32416616

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 2104 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey map, 1864, 6 inch scale, Northumberland, 98 The Archaeological Practice, 2002, Shipbuilding on Tyne and Wear - Prehistory to Present. Tyne & Wear Historic Environment Record.