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Shipbuilding Archive.

The North East was the engine of the world. It powered the planet with its coal, but transported it with its ships. Though the docks are filled in, the collective memory of the hard graft and creaking hulls live on. 

The Shipbuilding Archive is an ongoing, long term project to uncover and document every known shipyard in the North East and its location. From medieval times to the 18th and 19th centuries, pinning names and stories to our to our river banks provides even greater meaning to the landscapes around us.

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47.6
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285.6
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952

SUN014

Wear

North Dock, Blumer Shipyard

Sunderland

Monkwearmouth

George Booth, John Blakelock, John Blumer & Co. Ltd., Robert Pace, Colonel Arthur Robson

Created:

7 Jun 2024

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

BLY006

Blyth

High Pans, Shipyard

North Blyth

High Pans

Henry Debord (1798 - 1813)

Created:

17 Jul 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

WAL003

Tyne

Swan Hunter (Coulson & Co) Shipyard

Wallsend

Wallsend

Coulson, Cooke & Co (1873 - 1874), John Coulson & Co (1876 - 1879), Swan Hunter (1896 - 2007)

Created:

9 Jun 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

JW003

Tyne

Jarrow Quay Corner, Slipway

Jarrow

Jarrow

Thomas & Robert Brown (1813 - 1833), Drewett Brown

Created:

9 Jun 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

WLK005

Tyne

Neptune Yard

Walker

Walker

John Wigham Richardson Ltd. (1861 - 1903), Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd. (1903 - 1963), Swan Hunter Ltd. (-1986)

Created:

9 Jun 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

WLK007

Tyne

High Walker Shipyard

Newcastle

Walker

Vickers Armstrong Ltd. (1928 -1965), Vickers Ltd. (1965 - 1968), Swan Hunter

Created:

9 Jun 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

BLY007

Blyth

Blyth Shipbuilding Co., Shipyard

Blyth

Blyth

Blyth Iron Shipbuilding Co. (1883) Blyth Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Company Ltd. (1883 - 1967)

Created:

28 Jul 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

CDE001

Tyne

Coble Dene, Shipyards

North Shields

Coble Dene

Created:

9 Jun 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

SS010

Tyne

Forsyth's Dock

South Shields

Market Place

Simon Temple (Snr & Jnr) (1780 - 1805), James Forsyth & Thomas Forsyth (1811 - 1859), Wilson & Crosthwaite (1863 - 1865), Wilson & Blain (1869), James Nelson, Tyne Dock Engineering Co.

Created:

9 Jun 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

WLK004

Tyne

Low Walker Shipyard

Newcastle

Walker

Charles Mitchell & Co. (1853 - 1882), Sir W G Armstrong, Mitchell & Co. Ltd. (1882 - 1897), Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd. (1897 - 1931)

Created:

9 Jun 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

ELS001

Tyne

Armstrong's Shipyard

Newcastle

Elswick

Armstrong, Mitchell & Co. (1885 - 1897), Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. (1897 - 1920)

Created:

9 Jun 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

SS008

Tyne

Sand End, Shipyard

South Shields

Pilot Street

James Evans (1791 - 1820) Philip Laing (1822 - 1832), Thomas William Wawn (1846 -1852) John Readhead (1864 - 1872) John Softley (1864 - 1875)

Created:

9 Jun 2023

Updated:

12 Jun 2025

Background photo: Readhead's Shipyard c1960 by Ronald Sanderson, copyright free from Tyne and Wear Archives

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