Woolwich shipyard

[Chertsey]

From what I can gather, there is nothing left to see of the Harland and Wolff yard at Woolwich where numerous G.U. boats, including mine, were built (although you wouldn't know it from reading any history of the company that I've seen).

 

Is this right? And if so, what is there now? How would I know it if I found it and how would I go about locating it (bearing in mind that I'm extremely spatially challenged). I know that the old gates are now in Lyle Park and am planning a mini-pilgrimage to see them, but I would like to at least look at the place it was built if there is any way of doing so.

 

Also, does anyone know of any histories of the company which do cover their London operations and their boat- rather than shipbuilding activities?

 

(Ah, so easy to hit the wrong key and post a meaningless subtitle)

Edited November 6, 2010 by Chertsey

[stagedamager]

Hi Chertsey,

Looking on the London Canals website i found this:

Readers my be interested to know that the site where many of the Woolwich class narrow boats were built was actually sited in North Woolwich, directly opposite the entrance lock to the Arsenal Canal. Harland & Wolff's yard has long gone, replaced by new blocks of flats in what is now Fishguard Way, off Woolwich Manor Way. There may have been some possibility that narrowboats were stored in the Royal Arsenal canal, before heading up the Thames to the Regents Canal dock at Limehouse

 

Hope this helps

Regards

Dan

[Chertsey]

That seems a pretty precise location, so yes, very helpful, thanks. Sounds as if it will be a very sad trip though.

[stagedamager]

I agree, i have quite a soft spot for woolwich's, small and large, I spent my teenage years as a butty steerer on a small woolwich. Have a good trip whenever you go, it would be interesting to see any photos if you get any.

Regards

Dan

[pete harrison]

I also have a soft spot for the G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. narrow boats built at Woolwich. I have the company details as :-

 

Harland and Wolff Ltd., Ship Repairing and Engineering Works, North Woolwich, London E.C.16

 

I also have a list of all narrow boats built by Harland and Wolff Ltd., along with their order number and Yard number. Interestingly the Yard numbers were up to 918 by autumn 1960 (narrow mud hopper 104 for British Transport Waterways, ordered 22 September 1960 - commenced 17 January 1961 - completed 13 April 1961), confirming that this was a very busy yard.

[Paul H]

I also have a soft spot for the G.U.C.C.Co. Ltd. narrow boats built at Woolwich. I have the company details as :-

 

Harland and Wolff Ltd., Ship Repairing and Engineering Works, North Woolwich, London E.C.16

 

I also have a list of all narrow boats built by Harland and Wolff Ltd., along with their order number and Yard number. Interestingly the Yard numbers were up to 918 by autumn 1960 (narrow mud hopper 104 for British Transport Waterways, ordered 22 September 1960 - commenced 17 January 1961 - completed 13 April 1961), confirming that this was a very busy yard.

I have a booklet advertising the Harland and Wolff London operation which I judge to have been published in 1935 (ie frustratingly just before their narrow boat building period.) H&W was vast - think several football pitches at North Woolwich alone plus they had another 6 other repair yards dotted along the Thames from the Royal Docks down to Tilbury. I do think all the new builds were done at North Woolwich though. The machine shop was capable of producing shafting up to 80ft long and crank shafts of 5ft 6 ins, there were upholstery and french polishing workshops, sail making, boiler making, a foundry able to forge iron with up to 14ins square section under hammer, producing castings up to 15 tons. Simply staggering from today's perspective. They could probably knock off a small woolwich motor before tea break.

 

Paul

[Peter Reed]

Have a nose on the Pathe Newa archive site. I remember seeing a piece about North Woolwich docks,although I'm not sure if H&W was mentioned.

[David Mack]

From what I can gather, there is nothing left to see of the Harland and Wolff yard at Woolwich where numerous G.U. boats, including mine, were built (although you wouldn't know it from reading any history of the company that I've seen).

 

Is this right? And if so, what is there now? How would I know it if I found it and how would I go about locating it (bearing in mind that I'm extremely spatially challenged). I know that the old gates are now in Lyle Park and am planning a mini-pilgrimage to see them, but I would like to at least look at the place it was built if there is any way of doing so.

 

The site is immediately upstream of the King George V entrance to the Royal Docks.

 

This is the best way to view the birthplace of the Woolwich boats - from the river on a Big Woolwich. Pic taken from Fulbourne on the St Pancras CC trip to the Royals in January 2007.

 

 

More pics of trips to the Royals in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

 

 

David

[Derek R.]

From a modern website on London walks there is a description of walking from North Woolwich Road into Bradfield Road which leads to Lyle Park. This was built in 1924 for factory workers and local people. Within the park it states the gates of Harland & Wolff's works can be found. They were most probably put there after the works were closed and demolished as that was not the works site. The Blocks of flats depicted in David's photo stand on Gallions Point where the larger works were placed. It is stated elsewhere there were several establishments in the area belonging to H & W, but another major shop was at the Western end of King George V dock. Here there was a dry dock and semi-eliptical shaped workshops where now stands the terminal building of London City airport and part of the runway. There is an excellent map of the docks dated 1953 accessed HERE - click on 'original' below the map thumbnail for an enlarged version and use the scroll bars for moving about. The Gallions Point shop is big, as is the shop at the Western end of K.G. V.

 

There is an aerial photograph taken in 1950 and credited to the Museum of London from a book entitled 'DOCKLAND', edited by SK Al Naib assisted by R J M Carr, published by North East London Polytechnic in conjunction with the Greater London Council 1986, ISBN 0-901987-80-8 which shows in the distance the Royal Victoria dock, to the right the Royal Albert, and foreground King George V. Two of the workshops of H & W can be clearly seen in this shot.

 

But to return to the website of The Newham Story, you will find many photographs of the ships and boats built by H & W, and one taken inside the shop showing the scale of part of their operations HERE. Go through the entire collection - there are two pages, they did more than build ships.

 

Edited to add: If you watch the video clip of the docking of the Mauretania by British Gaumont News, you will see the buildings of the Harland and Wolff Gallions Point Workshops beyond the Mauretania at 1m 32secs on as she is locked up. Brilliant stuff!

Edited November 9, 2010 by Derek R.

[Chertsey]

Thanks for those links Derek. I'd already found some of the photos but the map and the Mauritania film - wonderful.

[Tim Lewis]

From what I can gather, there is nothing left to see of the Harland and Wolff yard at Woolwich where numerous G.U. boats, including mine, were built (although you wouldn't know it from reading any history of the company that I've seen).

 

Is this right? And if so, what is there now? How would I know it if I found it and how would I go about locating it (bearing in mind that I'm extremely spatially challenged). I know that the old gates are now in Lyle Park and am planning a mini-pilgrimage to see them, but I would like to at least look at the place it was built if there is any way of doing so.

 

Also, does anyone know of any histories of the company which do cover their London operations and their boat- rather than shipbuilding activities?

 

(Ah, so easy to hit the wrong key and post a meaningless subtitle)

 

I was at the Boat Show a few years ago when they (Harland & Wolff) launched a book of the history of the company.

 

I asked the representatives about the GUCCCO boats and got a very odd look, I do believe that there was a half sentance mention of them in the book though!

 

Tim

[Max Sinclair]

I was at the Boat Show a few years ago when they (Harland & Wolff) launched a book of the history of the company.

 

I asked the representatives about the GUCCCO boats and got a very odd look, I do believe that there was a half sentance mention of them in the book though!

 

Tim

I have a Harland and Wolfe Barge drawing which instructs " Do not drill drain holes in the bottom" ,this was probably for their Belfast Yard.

[Tim Lewis]

From what I can gather, there is nothing left to see of the Harland and Wolff yard at Woolwich where numerous G.U. boats, including mine, were built (although you wouldn't know it from reading any history of the company that I've seen).

 

Is this right? And if so, what is there now? How would I know it if I found it and how would I go about locating it (bearing in mind that I'm extremely spatially challenged). I know that the old gates are now in Lyle Park and am planning a mini-pilgrimage to see them, but I would like to at least look at the place it was built if there is any way of doing so.

 

Also, does anyone know of any histories of the company which do cover their London operations and their boat- rather than shipbuilding activities?

 

(Ah, so easy to hit the wrong key and post a meaningless subtitle)

 

A few pictures of the site taken over the last couple of years plus an aerial view from Bing Maps.

 

http://timlewis.smugmug.com/Other/Hardland/14600158_bu2b3#1085817530_88jw5

 

Tim

[saltysplash]

You can still see what remains of Henry VIII dockyard on the opposite side of the river at Woolwich.

There are still 2 dry docks on the now woolwich dockyard estate which have been used as the London Aquatic centre for some time. The original mast ponds I think have now been filled in but were still visable in the 1980's when i worked there.