Docks and Harbours

The 6840 gross tonnage nuclear fuel carrier Pacific Grebe lies adjacent to the Goliath crane in Ramsden Dock, Barrow-in-Furness. With sister ships Pacific Egret and Pacific Heron the vessel is engaged in transporting Highly Active Waste from Sellafield back to the country of origin - mainly Europe and Japan. These British registered ships are the UK's only armed merchant ships with a defence force on each provided by the nuclear industry police.

Lough Neagh sand suction dredger barges Ballyronan and Toomebridge at Northstone's Sandy Bay wharf. These are two of eight identical vessels built by James W Cook Ltd of Wivenhoe, Essex, between 1968 and 1974 for Scotts of Toomebridge. They are 120’ 6" long by 19’ 3" beam and all loaded and discharged by pump. They were built at the largest size for the locks on the Lower Bann which gives access to the lake from the sea. The sand trade on Lough Neagh continues to occupy several companies and a large number of barges in dredging around 1 million tonnes of sand annually.

The harbour at Charlestown used to export large quantities of minerals, but is now best known as a place where sailing ships are often docked. On this visit those present were the barque Earl of Pembroke and the brigantine Phoenix , both of which are owned by Square Sail Shipyard.

Grain silos one side and sand/gravel stocks on the other.

In November 1798 it was agreed that Richard Pringle should build a limekiln measuring 24ft.in height,on the pier at Beadnell, which should have a pot 16 ft. in diameter at the top and 9ft. in diameter at the bottom. John Wood, from whose estate the coal and limestone were extracted, would complete the harbour there and maintain it in good repair. The kiln was expected to produce at least a thousand cartloads of lime each year, to be exported by sea to other ports in England and Scotland.The lime sold well so that John Wood built a second and third kiln on the site.The coal and limestone were brought to the top of the kiln on a tramway Today the kilns are in good order and in the care of the National Trust.

Distant industry beckons on arrival at the Dunkerque ferry terminal. Most obvious is the oil refinery, but the plume of steam indicates the coking plant at the steelworks and the orangey coloured buildings left of centres are the Kerneos aluminium silicates plant.

Sunset at Rossmore Quay on the Galway shore of Lough Derg. Jefferson surveys the barge that had brought us to this quiet place for the night.

The Yr Eifl granite quarry at Trefor opened in 1850 and closed in 1971. An incline brought stone down to Trefor pier for shipping out. The whole operation was run by the Penmaenmawr & Welsh Granite Co Ltd from 1911 - 1965 although the inclines from the quarry and railway to the pier were replaced by road vehicles in 1959. The railway on the pier was replaced by conveyors in 1962.

A couple of barges have made the trip over the Wash from Boston to Wells-Next-The-Sea harbour. The old granary in the background has now been converted to holiday flats.

The sun sets behind the cranes of the Ship Dock at Goole.

The surviving compartment boat hoist at Goole Docks dozes in the late evening sun. These hoists were designed to load coal brought from Yorkshire collieries in floating trains of compartment boats into seagoing vessels. There was even a floating version of the hoist that could be towed to wherever in the docks it was required. This No.5 hoist is now preserved with a small museum attached.

The lime sheds are a prominent feature of Ouse Dock at Goole. This view was taken from the first floor of the Lowther Hotel which is an ideal place to stay if you like docks!

Today it is hard to imagine that this spot was once a bustling wharf from which coal, clay and bricks were exported in large quantities. All that now remains are these timbers that formed part of the quay. A quay developed at Lower, or King's Ferry on the River Dee, for the shipment of coal from about 1740 when the Mancot Tramway was built to link Big Mancot Colliery with the Dee at Mancot Mark. Around 1793 this was replaced by an iron plateway. Aston Quay, as it came to be known, expanded further following the construction of a second tramway, or in fact a system of tramways, which extended from Pentrobin Colliery, Buckley. The various sections of the tramway had different names but are generally referred to as the Aston Tramroad. The south section was built by Rigby, the Hawarden Ironmaster, and Hancock, the Buckley brick manufacturer, after the formation of a partnership in 1792. The lower 1¼ miles was replaced by an iron plateway around 1799, which served a number of businesses including Lane End brickworks at Buckley and Aston Hall Colliery. The plateway was eventually replaced by the standard gauge Aston Hall Colliery Railway. All that now remains are a few of the timbers that formed part of the quay.

Seacombe floating pier on the Wallasey side of the Mersey. Ferries run from here daily to Birkenhead and Liverpool, a service that has run for many centuries.

Redundant railway and ship at Birkenhead Docks. It is some time since the wagon turntable saw use whilst the RMS St Helena only came out of service in 2018 as the passenger and supply ship serving the remote island of the same name. It subsequently served for a shore period as a floating armoury in the Gulf of Oman. The ship is said to now be under conversion to a mobile hub for the race events of the Extreme E electric SUV racing series.

The Salt Union saltworks at Weston Point, Runcorn, viewed across the empty Delamere Dock. This 850,000 tonne per annum vacuum salt plant was sold to Ineos Enterprises in 2006. Products include: Undried vacuum salt - a key raw material in the manufacture of chlorine and caustic soda. Pure dried vacuum salt - an important ingredient for the food industry as well as for processes ranging from shampoo manufacture to animal nutrition and water treatment. Granular and white tablet salt for water softening. Packed de-icing salts.

Warehouse at Brentford Dock clad with corrugated asbestos cement panels. This building and surroundings seem to be occupied with old buses, including a number of Routemasters.

S3 'Portbury' (Avonside No. 1764), S9 'Henbury' (Peckett No. 1940) pass behind the Fairbairn steam crane at Bristol Docks. The steam crane was ordered in 1875 as the docks at the time had no heavy lift capacity. It was completed in August 1878 at a cost of £3,600. For most of its existence it was underused being rapidly overtaken by improvements in hydraulic and then electric crane technology. However it was heavily used during World War 2 when it lifted many landing craft, making over two thousand lifts in three years. It has now been restored and can be seen in action during special events.