Thomas Lightfoot was born at Hylton Ferry in around 1802, and opened his own shipyard in his early 30s. This was situated at the mouth of Hylton Dene, a much forgotten water course leading up to the castle and westwards. The yard is best described as modest as per the view we receive on the Ordnance Survey of the 1850s. There was slipway nor dock, just a few small buildings next to a marshy and boggy patch either side of the dene. Ships were very likely built on a berth then lowered into the river at high tide to avoid the silt. The commute from Hylton will have been hellish too especially in winter, with a 20 minute trudge between the fields to Park House then North Hylton.

There is very little to be known about Lightfoot. He was very possibly related to the Right Rev. Dr Lightfoot, who was Lord Bishop of the Diocese. He built over a dozen ships here for general cargo trade, some for the Mediterranean trade and some for the Baltic.

One important discovery is that one of Wearside's great sons William Pile learned the trade here as an apprentice to Lightfoot in his teens, and by the age of 26 or 17 he moved over to yards at Deptford.

The last known ship was constructed here in 1859. Its not known what happened to him afterwards. The geography of the site altered upon the advent of Hylton Colliery in 1900, and I imagine any trace of the yard disappeared by this time. Some timber structures do remain on the edge of the river, but it's hard to suggest if this is from the time of the yard.