Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company
Encyclopedia
Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company Ltd was formerly an independent company, located on the River Tyne at Point Pleasant
, near Wallsend
, Tyne & Wear, around a mile downstream from the Swan Hunter
shipyard, with which it later merged.
One of the first ships repaired was the Earl Percy berthed in 1873.
In 1874 Willam Boyd was appointed managing director and it was Boyd who introduced marine engine building to the firm - this becoming over the next decade its most important activity - which brought the words 'Engineering' into the full title of the firm which then became ' The Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Co Ltd'. In 1903 Swan Hunter
took a controlling interest in the Company.
The company manufactured Parsons
turbines under license for ships including the famous RMS Mauretania
and numerous British
warships.
In 1977 the business was nationalised and became part of British Shipbuilders
. The site then passed to AMEC
which operated it as part of an offshore facility known as the Hadrian Yard: it was responsible for pre-fabricated construction of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge
completed in 2001 and also conducted fitting out of the Bonga
FPSO
in 2003.
Amec placed the yard in mothball
s in January 2005. It was announced in April 2008 that the site was to be sold and then in November 2008 the site was acquired by Shepherd Offshore.
In March 2009, SLP, a Surrey
-based engineering
business, announced that it would lease part of the yard from Shepherd Offshore to build offshore gas production platforms for the North Sea
.
Point Pleasant (Wallsend)
Point Pleasant is part of the town of Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England, lying between the town centre and the River Tyne.The historic area was once the home of Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company, which built engines for some of the most famous ships constructed on the Tyne...
, near Wallsend
Wallsend
Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
, Tyne & Wear, around a mile downstream from the Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...
shipyard, with which it later merged.
History
The Company was formed by Charles Mitchell, a shipbuilder, in November 1871 as The Wallsend Slipway Co. with the objective of repairing the shipping vessels of various shipowners with whom he had recently established a business relationship.One of the first ships repaired was the Earl Percy berthed in 1873.
In 1874 Willam Boyd was appointed managing director and it was Boyd who introduced marine engine building to the firm - this becoming over the next decade its most important activity - which brought the words 'Engineering' into the full title of the firm which then became ' The Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Co Ltd'. In 1903 Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter, formerly known as "Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson", was one of the best known shipbuilding companies in the world. Based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the company was responsible for some of the greatest ships of the early 20th century — most famously, the RMS Mauretania which...
took a controlling interest in the Company.
The company manufactured Parsons
Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company
Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company was a British engineering company based in Wallsend, North England, on the River Tyne.-History:The company was founded by Charles Algernon Parsons in 1897 with £500,000 of capital, and specialised in building the steam turbine engines that he had invented for...
turbines under license for ships including the famous RMS Mauretania
RMS Mauretania
Two ocean liners of the Cunard Line have been named RMS Mauretania, after the ancient territory of Mauretania:* RMS Mauretania , launched in 1906 and remained in service until 1934...
and numerous British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
warships.
In 1977 the business was nationalised and became part of British Shipbuilders
British Shipbuilders
British Shipbuilders Corporation was a public corporation that owned and managed the shipbuilding industry in England and Scotland from 1977 and through the 1980s...
. The site then passed to AMEC
AMEC
AMEC plc is a global consultancy, engineering and project management company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is focused on the oil and gas, minerals and metals, renewable energy, environment and infrastructure sectors and has offices in 40 countries worldwide...
which operated it as part of an offshore facility known as the Hadrian Yard: it was responsible for pre-fabricated construction of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne in England between Gateshead's Quays arts quarter on the south bank, and the Quayside of Newcastle upon Tyne on the north bank. The award-winning structure was conceived and designed by architects...
completed in 2001 and also conducted fitting out of the Bonga
Bonga Field
The Bonga Field is an oilfield in Nigeria. It was located in License block OPL 212 off the Nigerian coast, which was renamed OML 118 in February 2000. The field covers approximately 60 km2 in an average water depth of . The field was discovered in 1996, with government approval for its...
FPSO
Floating Production Storage and Offloading
A floating production, storage and offloading unit is a floating vessel used by the offshore industry for the processing of hydrocarbons and for storage of oil. A FPSO vessel is designed to receive hydrocarbons produced from nearby platforms or subsea template, process them, and store oil until it...
in 2003.
Amec placed the yard in mothball
Mothball
Mothballs are small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorant used when storing clothing and other articles susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae ....
s in January 2005. It was announced in April 2008 that the site was to be sold and then in November 2008 the site was acquired by Shepherd Offshore.
In March 2009, SLP, a Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
-based engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
business, announced that it would lease part of the yard from Shepherd Offshore to build offshore gas production platforms for the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.