W.J. Yarwood & Sons
Encyclopedia
W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd were a shipbuilding company based in Northwich
, Cheshire
from 1896 to 1966.
near Northwich.
Within 3 years, 15 vessels had been delivered to the Manchester Ship Canal
Co., Douglas Corporation (Isle of Man) and Brunner Mond
.. Later contracts included the Admiralty
, the Air Ministry
, the Mersey Docks & Harbour Board
, the Port of London
, the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company
and Fellows Morton and Clayton
.
On the death of William James Yarwood, he was succeed by his four sons. Yarwood’s business had expanded to such an extent that it produced almost every ship component, from steam engines to propellers and anchors. During World War II
, the yard built over 100 vessels for the Admiralty
and the Air Ministry
. As an employee of the Air Ministry
, T. E. Lawrence
worked there in 1934 (shortly before his death) to oversee the fitting out of H.M.S. Auxiliary “Aquarius”.
There were substantial contracts between 1903 and 1948 for coastal vessels built for Brunner Mond
(later Imperial Chemical Industries
).
In 1947 the yard was sold to Athel Line Ltd, a subsidiary of United Molasses, and between 1955 and 1965 built 32 steam and diesel-powered tugs. In 1965 the last vessel built at Yarwood’s was a 168-ton diesel tug, the St Elmo. When the yard closed the total output from Yarwood’s had been over 1,000 vessels.
Whilst many of the vessels remain in use today, much of the yard has been consumed by the expansion of Northwich. The side slip dock remains and is in use for visiting and permanently moored craft.
Northwich
Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
from 1896 to 1966.
History
The company founder, William James Yarwood (1851–1926) served an apprenticeship at an ironfoundry in Northwich. He was appointed as a blacksmith with the River Weaver Navigation. In 1896 he assumed control and renamed the John Thompson shipbuilding business, based on the west bank of the River WeaverRiver Weaver
The River Weaver is a river, navigable in its lower reaches, running in a curving route anti-clockwise across west Cheshire, northern England. Improvements to the river to make it navigable were authorised in 1720 and the work, which included eleven locks, was completed in 1732...
near Northwich.
Within 3 years, 15 vessels had been delivered to the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
Co., Douglas Corporation (Isle of Man) and Brunner Mond
Brunner Mond
Tata Chemicals Europe is a UK-based chemicals company that is a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Limited, itself a part of the India-based Tata Group...
.. Later contracts included the Admiralty
Admiralty
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...
, the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
, the Mersey Docks & Harbour Board
Mersey Docks and Harbour Company
The Mersey Docks and Harbour Company , formerly the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board , owns and administers the dock facilities of the Port of Liverpool, on the River Mersey, England...
, the Port of London
Port of London
The Port of London lies along the banks of the River Thames from London, England to the North Sea. Once the largest port in the world, it is currently the United Kingdom's second largest port, after Grimsby & Immingham...
, the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company
Grand Union Canal Carrying Company
The Grand Union Canal Carrying Company was a freight carrying transport service in England from 1934 to 1948.-Background:For more detail on this section see the History of the Grand Union Canal....
and Fellows Morton and Clayton
Fellows Morton and Clayton
Fellows Morton & Clayton Ltd was, for much of the early 20th century, the largest and best-known canal transportation company in England. The company was in existence from 1889 to 1947.-Origins:...
.
On the death of William James Yarwood, he was succeed by his four sons. Yarwood’s business had expanded to such an extent that it produced almost every ship component, from steam engines to propellers and anchors. During World War II
World 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 yard built over 100 vessels for the Admiralty
Admiralty
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 the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
. As an employee of the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
, T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
worked there in 1934 (shortly before his death) to oversee the fitting out of H.M.S. Auxiliary “Aquarius”.
There were substantial contracts between 1903 and 1948 for coastal vessels built for Brunner Mond
Brunner Mond
Tata Chemicals Europe is a UK-based chemicals company that is a subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Limited, itself a part of the India-based Tata Group...
(later Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
).
In 1947 the yard was sold to Athel Line Ltd, a subsidiary of United Molasses, and between 1955 and 1965 built 32 steam and diesel-powered tugs. In 1965 the last vessel built at Yarwood’s was a 168-ton diesel tug, the St Elmo. When the yard closed the total output from Yarwood’s had been over 1,000 vessels.
Whilst many of the vessels remain in use today, much of the yard has been consumed by the expansion of Northwich. The side slip dock remains and is in use for visiting and permanently moored craft.