London Yard
Encyclopedia
London Yard was a shipyard in London, in use between around 1856 and 1908 by various shipbuilding companies, including Westwood, Baillie
and Yarrow Shipbuilders
.
in Cubitt Town
on the Isle of Dogs
, and lies between the river and Manchester Road. It occupies around 8 acres (3.2 ha), with around 180 feet (54.9 m) of river frontage.
, was acquired in 1856 by Robert Baillie and Joseph Westwood. Westwood and Baillie built a number of ships at the yard including HMS Resistance
, but subsequently concentrated mainly on the manufacture of iron and steel bridges. Westwood and Ballie went out of business in 1893.
The yard was taken over in 1898 by Yarrows, who had outgrown their original yard to the north at Folly Wall. Yarrows built many torpedo boat destroyers at the yard. As shipbuilding in London declined, Yarrows subsequently transferred to Scotstoun
, Glasgow
between 1906 and 1908.
In 1917 the freehold was purchased by C. & E. Morton, a local manufacturer of soups, pickles and jams. The site was used for the manufacture of packing cases and for storage. Mortons employed around 600 people here.
Mortons sold the site in 1936. It is said to have been used during World War 2 for the construction of units for the Mulberry harbour
s used in the invasion of Normandy. After the war it was acquired by Badcocks of Greenwich, which had previously occupied part of the site as a tenant. By the early 1960s Badcocks had been joined by a variety of other firms, all of which made use of existing buildings.
By 1972 the wharf was unoccupied. In 1977 it was acquired by the GLC
. A plan to build housing, a water-sports centre and a boat-building yard stalled when heavy pollution was discovered. It passed to the London Docklands Development Corporation
, and was sold to a private developer, becoming one of the first sites on the Isle of Dogs to be redeveloped.
The is now occupied by 312 residential units, completed in 1988. Development included opening up a stretch of the foreshore as a beach (owned by the Port of London Authority
), and the opening of a section of riverside walkway (owned by the local authorty
).
Westwood, Baillie
Westwood, Baillie and Co was a Victorian engineering and shipbuilding company based at London Yard in Cubitt Town, London.The company was set up in 1856 by Robert Baillie and Joseph Westwood, previously managers of Ditchburn and Mares shipyard....
and Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Limited , often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde...
.
Location
The site is on the north bank of the Thames immediately to the south of the Samuda EstateSamuda Estate
The Samuda Estate is on the east side of Manchester Road, in Cubitt Town on the Isle of Dogs. With 505 dwellings it is home to about 1,500 people and covers .-Historical background:...
in Cubitt Town
Cubitt Town
Cubitt Town is an area on the Isle of Dogs in Tower Hamlets in London, England. It is on the east of the Isle, facing Greenwich across the River Thames. To the west is Millwall, to the northwest Canary Wharf and to the north, across the Blue Bridge, Blackwall...
on the Isle of Dogs
Isle of Dogs
The Isle of Dogs is a former island in the East End of London that is bounded on three sides by one of the largest meanders in the River Thames.-Etymology:...
, and lies between the river and Manchester Road. It occupies around 8 acres (3.2 ha), with around 180 feet (54.9 m) of river frontage.
History
The site, immediately upstream of the yard of Samuda BrothersSamuda Brothers
Samuda Brothers was an engineering and ship building firm at Cubitt Town on the Isle of Dogs in London, founded by Jacob and Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda. The site is now occupied by Samuda Estate....
, was acquired in 1856 by Robert Baillie and Joseph Westwood. Westwood and Baillie built a number of ships at the yard including HMS Resistance
HMS Resistance (1861)
HMS Resistance was the second and last ship of the Defence class to be commissioned. She served in the English Channel from 1862 to 1864, and was then posted to the Mediterranean, where she was the first British ironclad to see service...
, but subsequently concentrated mainly on the manufacture of iron and steel bridges. Westwood and Ballie went out of business in 1893.
The yard was taken over in 1898 by Yarrows, who had outgrown their original yard to the north at Folly Wall. Yarrows built many torpedo boat destroyers at the yard. As shipbuilding in London declined, Yarrows subsequently transferred to Scotstoun
Scotstoun
Scotstoun is a historic district of Glasgow, Scotland, west of Glasgow City Centre. It is bounded by Yoker and Knightswood to the west, Victoria Park, Broomhill and Whiteinch to the east, Jordanhill to the north and the River Clyde to the south...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
between 1906 and 1908.
In 1917 the freehold was purchased by C. & E. Morton, a local manufacturer of soups, pickles and jams. The site was used for the manufacture of packing cases and for storage. Mortons employed around 600 people here.
Mortons sold the site in 1936. It is said to have been used during World War 2 for the construction of units for the Mulberry harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
s used in the invasion of Normandy. After the war it was acquired by Badcocks of Greenwich, which had previously occupied part of the site as a tenant. By the early 1960s Badcocks had been joined by a variety of other firms, all of which made use of existing buildings.
By 1972 the wharf was unoccupied. In 1977 it was acquired by the GLC
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
. A plan to build housing, a water-sports centre and a boat-building yard stalled when heavy pollution was discovered. It passed to the London Docklands Development Corporation
London Docklands Development Corporation
The London Docklands Development Corporation was a quango agency set up by the UK Government in 1981 to regenerate the depressed Docklands area of east London. During its eighteen-year existence it was responsible for regenerating an area of in the London Boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and...
, and was sold to a private developer, becoming one of the first sites on the Isle of Dogs to be redeveloped.
The is now occupied by 312 residential units, completed in 1988. Development included opening up a stretch of the foreshore as a beach (owned by the Port of London Authority
Port of London Authority
The Port of London Authority is a self-funding public trust established in 1908 by the Port of London Act to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and the authority is responsible for the public right of navigation and for conservancy of the...
), and the opening of a section of riverside walkway (owned by the local authorty
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
).