Middle Docks and Engineering, South Shields - 20/04/09

After spending all day on here watching the Osprey, i've been itching to get back and give it a proper look, so yesterday in the sunshine i took the ferry over!


Middle Dock and Engineering Co was founded in 1899, but there had been a dock on this land for at least 130 years before that...making this the oldest shipyard on the tyne.
One notable ship that was brought in and repaired here was HMS Blackprince, a ship my grandad served on in ww2.
Three more docks were added in the 20's, turning the salt pans into shipyard.
Middle dock, like the rest of the tyneside yards, went from strength to strength after WW2 and into the 60's.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...iddledocks.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...Docks21970.jpg

Sandwiched between Readheads and Brighams yard... the huge no4 dock often housed the huge whaling ships that came in every year. I heard a great story from a worker in the pub about a penguin carved out of a whales tooth. Apparently everyone had one at one point, as the workers on the ships made them for the local kids!

The inevitable happened in 1982, and while there was security in the early days, there really is nothing left to secure here now.
The offices for the yard are burnt out... which is a shame as there were valubale records in there still, the remnants of which are scattered about.

Anyhow, on with the pics...
After being derelict for so long, the yard has a steetly-esque feel about it... anyone who thinks there is nothing here, think again.....

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...k/IMG_0227.jpg

hee hee.......

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i loved this, bird footprints in the concrete!

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...k/IMG_0041.jpg

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A quick nip into the pub afterwards and i came across this.........

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That capped off the explore for me! There were plenty in the pub who were more than happy to share their stories..... i loved it!!!
There are plenty more piccies here
enjoy!