Scotswood, Sir W G Armstrong's Elswick Shipbuilding Yard

HER Number:
4305

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Scotswood, Sir W G Armstrong's Elswick Shipbuilding Yard

Place:
Scotswood

Map Sheet:
NZ26SW

Class:
Maritime

Site Type: Broad:
Marine Construction Site

Site Type: Specific:
Shipyard

General Period:
Early Modern

Specific Period:
C19

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
A works was established at Scotswood by W illiam Armstrong in 1847 to produce his patented hydraulic cranes. This establishment developed into a substantial armaments works producing advanced ordnance developed by Armstrong. From 1867 the yard armed many of the warships built at the Low Walker Yard of Mitchell and Co. and in 1882, the companies amalgamated as Armstrong, Mitchell and Co. Ltd. In 1883, the newly amalgamated company established a naval yard for constructing warships next to Armstrong’s Ordnance Works and Mitchell's Low Walker Yard concentrated on the construction of merchant vessels. By 1912, the increasing size of warships necessitated the establishment of new a naval yard below the Tyne bridges at High Walker. The Scotswood works subsequently only handled uncompleted orders and a few submarines during World War One, with its final warship, the aircraft carrier Eagle, being launched in June 1918. In 1928, Armstrong, Mitchell partially merged with Vickers to form Vickers Armstrong Ltd. From this time, the High Walker Naval Yard traded under the name of this joint company, but the Low Walker Yard continued to trade under the title Armstrong Whitworth. This latter company also operated the former yards of William Dobson & Co and the Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co Ltd. Voluntary liquidation of the yards within this Armstrong Mitchell group occurred in 1956.

Easting:
2019

Northing:
6369

Grid Reference:
NZ20196369

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 4305 >> 2nd edition Ordnance Survey map, 1899, 6 inch scale, Northumberland, 97, NW The Archaeological Practice, 2002, Shipbuilding on Tyne and Wear - Prehistory to Present. Tyne & Wear Historic Environment Record.