Blyth Shipbuilding
Encyclopedia
The Blyth Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Company Ltd. was a British shipyard
located in Blyth
, Northumberland
, England
.
in 1811. In the 1840s the yard was purchased by Beaumont and Drummond. In 1863 the yard was taken over by Hodgson and Soulsby who repaired and built small wooden sailing ships. In 1880 the first two iron ships were built at Blyth for the Russian Government.
as a limited liability company
. It built cargo liners
, tramp steamers and collier
s. The fifth ship built at the yard was for the shipping company Stephens and Mawson of Newcastle. Daniel Stephens eventually became a Director
, and then the Chairman of the company.
and converted into the Navy's first seaplane carrier . During the war the company completed nine tramps and colliers, along with ten X-lighter landing craft
and six sloops
for the Royal Navy
; these were the Arabis class minesweeper
, the Aubretia class convoy escorts
and , the Anchusa class convoy escort and the 24-class fleet minesweepers
and .
the Blyth company built five and two s, seven s, as well as two s and ten s. The former German cargo ship Hannover was also converted into the escort carrier .
, along with another for William Cory and Son
.
Unfortunately rising costs and falling orders meant that, after losing money for five years, the yard was finally closed in 1967. Repair work and shipbreaking was then carried out by various companies on the site. Eventually the shipbuilding berths were demolished to make room for a paper and timber storage area for the Port of Blyth.
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
located in Blyth
Blyth, Northumberland
Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Early history
Shipbuilding began on the site on the south bank of the River BlythRiver Blyth, Northumberland
The River Blyth flows eastwards through southern Northumberland into the North Sea at the town of Blyth. It flows through Plessey Woods Country Park. The River Pont is a tributary....
in 1811. In the 1840s the yard was purchased by Beaumont and Drummond. In 1863 the yard was taken over by Hodgson and Soulsby who repaired and built small wooden sailing ships. In 1880 the first two iron ships were built at Blyth for the Russian Government.
Foundation
On 2 March 1883 the Blyth Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Company Ltd. was registeredCompanies House
Companies House is the United Kingdom Registrar of Companies and is an Executive Agency of the United Kingdom Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills . All forms of companies are incorporated and registered with Companies House and file specific details as required by the...
as a limited liability company
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
. It built cargo liners
Freight liner (ship)
A freight liner is a cargo ship sailing on a regular schedule, as opposed to a tramp ship.The fee is listed in a liner tariff by owner or freight conference and unchanged in a rather long time....
, tramp steamers and collier
Collier (ship type)
Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
s. The fifth ship built at the yard was for the shipping company Stephens and Mawson of Newcastle. Daniel Stephens eventually became a Director
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
, and then the Chairman of the company.
World War I
In 1914 a cargo ship under construction was purchased by the AdmiraltyAdmiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
and converted into the Navy's first seaplane carrier . During the war the company completed nine tramps and colliers, along with ten X-lighter landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
and six sloops
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
; these were the Arabis class minesweeper
Arabis class sloop
The Arabis class was the third class of minesweeping sloops to be built under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy in World War I as part of the larger "Flower Class", which were also referred to as the "Cabbage Class", or "Herbaceous Borders"...
, the Aubretia class convoy escorts
Aubretia class sloop
The Aubretia class sloops were a class of twelve sloops built under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy in World War I as part of the larger "Flower" class. They were also referred to as the "cabbage class", or "herbaceous borders"...
and , the Anchusa class convoy escort and the 24-class fleet minesweepers
24 class sloop
The 24 class was a class of minesweeping sloops. Derived from the preceding , but designed to appear double-ended. Twenty-four ships to this design were ordered between December 1916 and April 1917 under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy in World War I, although two of them were...
and .
Post-war slump and closure
Post-war the company returned to the civilian market building steamers and colliers. However, after Daniel Stephens death on 19 March 1925, and the collapse of the freight market, the yard was closed. In November 1926 Robert Stanley Dalgleish, a Newcastle shipowner, purchased the yard, and changed its name to the Cowpen Dry Docks and Shipbuilding Company. The yard was later amalgamated with Ritson's Shipbuilding and Engineering Company. After completing a number of ships, the yard closed again in 1930.Reopening and World War II
In mid-1937 the yard was reopened under its original name. During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Blyth company built five and two s, seven s, as well as two s and ten s. The former German cargo ship Hannover was also converted into the escort carrier .
Decline and final closure
By 1947 the company was owned by Mollers (Hong Kong) Ltd. It had four berths and five dry docks. Turbine-driven cargo-liners were built for Moller's subsidiary the Lancashire Shipping Company. In 1949 eleven tankers were built for a number of different companies. In 1954 the main berth of the yard was extended to 550 feet in order to build larger tankers and ore carriers. In 1961 four coastal steamers were completed for Stephenson ClarkeStephenson Clarke Shipping
Stephenson Clarke Shipping Limited, established in 1730, is Great Britain's oldest shipping company. The company specializes in short sea bulk cargo such as aggregates, alumina, grain, coal, fertilizers and steel.-History:...
, along with another for William Cory and Son
Cory Environmental
Cory Environmental is a large waste disposal company based in the United Kingdom. Cory operates in more than 30 locations throughout England, providing services in the collection, recycling and disposal of waste as well as municipal cleansing.-Operations:...
.
Unfortunately rising costs and falling orders meant that, after losing money for five years, the yard was finally closed in 1967. Repair work and shipbreaking was then carried out by various companies on the site. Eventually the shipbuilding berths were demolished to make room for a paper and timber storage area for the Port of Blyth.