A shipbuilding/ship repairing yard is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey. The yard is of an irregular shape and includes the long ‘Howdon Dock’ which projects at approximately right-angles from the river’s edge. Two cranes sit alongside the eastern edge of the dock, along with a saw pit, and there is a number of buildings throughout the yard. Within the south-eastern corner of the yard, a rectangular embayment in the riverside wall forms a tidal dock. A smithy and crane shown to the east of the yard may have been a part of the concern. The business history of the yard at this time is uncertain. By the time of the Second Edition Ordnance Survey, the yard as shown had been completely razed due to further reclamation of land and development along the riverside (see SMR No. ???).
Map Evidence
First Edition Six Inches to One Mile Ordnance Survey 1864 Northumberland 98
Howdon Dock lies at the centre of an irregular yard sitting on the northern bank of the Tyne above mudflats. Dock is shown with mud within and was presumably at least semi-tidal.

Enormous ballast hill, at least 100 feet high. The condensing flue from Howdon Lead Works (HER 2106) ran up its south face. This deposit was derived from dumping of ship's ballast prior to taking on coal. Much of it was used for land reclamation under the Tyne Improvement Act. The hill generated enough pressure to distort the adjoining quay wall, forcing it into the river. Many ships coming to the Tyne to load coal entered the river 'light' or 'in ballast'. This means that no cargo was being carried. In the absence of cargo, the ballast gives the vessel stability. Ships returning from London coal voyages often carried shingle or chalk as ballast. Sand and other materials were also used. Over the centuries, great hills of ballast grew along both banks of the Tyne. There were substantial ballast hills near Bill Point Walker, Willington Quay, Hebburn, Jarrow and North and South Shields. Ships were charged fees to unload their ballast. By the early 1820s this was about 20p per ton. To avoid the fee some masters resorted to the dangerous act of discharging ballast before entering harbour. One estimate suggests that some 20% of all imported ballast ended up in the river, risking the Tyne silting up.

Howdon Lead Works. The 1st edition OS mapping shows a condensing flue with chimney, running up the south side of the adjacent ballast hill (HER 2107). Thomas Richardson and George Currie opened the lead works in 1847 on land leased from Newcastle Corporation. In 1852 Currie retired, and firm became Thomas Richardson & Co. In 1854 it became the Howdon Smelting Company. In 1856 the Willington Quay Lead Works passed to William I. Cookson, great-grandson of Isaac Cookson, Newcastle Merchant from Penrith. Cookson already had works at Gateshead and Hayhole, East Howdon with his brother John Cookson and William Cuthbert, his brother-in-law. William I. Cookson had married Jane Ann Cuthbert in 1839. In 1864 the company leased land on the east side of Tyne Street and by 1871 had built Antimony and Venetian Red works. Norman Charles Cookson and George John Cookson took over the business when their father retired in 1867. The firm of Cookson & Company became a private limited company in 1904.

Possible Fire Clay Works on Willington Quay. The 1st edition OS mapping is unclear, though the word Firebrick is legible. This was Addison Potter's Firebrick works, also known as The Townley cokeworks. In 1846 Mr Potter, owner of Walbottle Colliery built the Townley Cokeworks at Willington Quay, with 39 beehive coke ovens. Later that year a brickworks was also built on the site, with a 16hp pressure steam engine built by John Hawdon of Blaydon Iron Foundry, a pug mill, a grinding mill and a chain driven bucket elevator. In the early 1880s the site was turned into a cement works (SMR 2209). In 1846 Mr Potter, owner of Walbottle Colliery and Firebrick Works, built the Towneley Cokeworks at Willington Quay, with the help of Robert Simpson of Towneley Cokeworks at Willington Quay, with the help of Robert Simpson of Towneley Colliery near Ryton. 39 beehive coke ovens were built. Later in the same year Mr Potter began erecting a brickworks alongside the coke ovens. John Hawdon of Blaydon iron foundry supplied the works with a high pressure steam engine of 16 h.p., a grinding mill, a chain driven bucket elevator, a riddle and a pug mill. In 1851 the brick flats at Willington Quay were extended in order to dry retorts, and a joiner's shop was built above the extension. In February 1852 two new brick kilns were built. In the early 1880s the site was turned into lime and cement works. In 1846 a brickworks was erected alongside the coke ovens at Willington Quay by Mr Potter, owner of Walbottle Colliery and firebrick works. It comprised a high pressure steam engine, a grinding mill, a chain-driven bucket elevator, a riddle, and a pug mill. In July 1851 the brick flats at Willington Quay were extended and a joiner’s shop built. In February 1852 two new brick kilns were built (19 ft long, by 16 ft wide, by 13ft high). In the early 1880s the site was turned into a lime and cement works.
Dates: 1846-1880s
C19 Brickworks
Source: Davison, P J, 1986. Brickworks of the North East, 56 site 13, 59-60.

Shipyard on Willington Quay. On the 2nd edition OS mapping, 1894/5 survey, the site is occupied by a shipyard (SMR 2211), which may have been an expansion of this site, an amalgamation with SMR 2103 or a completely new yard {1}. A shipyard extending over four acres had been set up to the east of the Willington Slipway yard by a Thomas Adamson in 1852. This yard passed through the hands of a number of owners over the 1850s and 60s, including the Marshall Bros. of South Shields and W B Hornsby of Sunderland. In 1871, the yard was bought from Hornsby by the Cole Bros. for whom the yard was managed from 1871 until 1876 by W J Bone, who then bought the yard and set up the Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. The Coles’ had initiated iron construction at the yard, the main types of vessel being tramps, colliers and oil tankers. The first oil tanker produced in the yard was the Duffield, built and launched over the early 1890s.
Bone remained in charge of the yard until 1901 when J Bourn took over as manager. Bone’s management of the yard had seen it expand considerably eastwards and become established as one of the best Tyne yards; well equipped and with good labour relations. Bourn remained in charge of the yard until its closure in the 1930s.
Prior to WW1, the yard had a flood of orders including seven tramp steamers and four oil tankers, the last pre-war vessel, the Elbruz, being the first motor driven tanker constructed on the Tyne. During WW1, the yard produced 10 tramps, three naval patrol boats and two naval tankers. The shipbuilding slump during the 1920s led to its closure in 1927 after the completion of the Kenton in 1927, the last of just over 200 ships produced by the yard. Armstrong Whitworth bought the yard in 1928 and constructed a number of tramps up to final closure in 1933, when it was sold to National Shipbuilders security Ltd. The yard was demolished in 1935.
Map Evidence
First Edition Six Inches to One Mile Ordnance Survey 1864 Northumberland 98
Extent of yard demarcated to east by fire-brick works and to the west by an open area which runs as far as Willington Slipway (SMR No.2103). Two, possibly three major ranges of buildings within the yard, one on the western flank, one central to the yard and one on the boundary with the fire-brick works. The central building range divides the yard into two bays, that to the west has a slip, that to the east an embayment from the river line with a crane on its eastern edge; possibly a dock.
Second Edition Twenty Five Inches to One Mile Ordnance Survey, Sheet 07
Yard has expanded into open area to the west and possibly encroached on area of Willington Slipway beyond. New ranges of buildings around extension area. Possibly as many as nine construction slips in place.
Fourth Edition Twenty Five Inches to One Mile Ordnance Survey, Sheet 95.7
The eastern portion of the yard has been taken up by Tyne Plywood works. Three construction slips remain in the surviving western portion of the yard. Most of the buildings present on the Second Edition sheet have gone {2}.

Shipyard at Willington Quay. On 1st edition OS mapping, the site includes three saw pits and Willington Slip. On the 2nd edition OS mapping, 1894/5, part of a large shipyard, (SMR 2211) occupied this site. It is unclear from the mapping but this may have been a new yard or an expansion/amalgamation of SMR 2103 and/or SMR 2104 {1}. There was a shipyard or boatyard at Willington Quay from at least 1836, in which year H. English built a small vessel. This yard was operated successively by a number of builders until 1866 when it was taken over by William Cleland. Cleland, who originated from Clydeside, had previously worked as a manager for T.&W. Smith of North Shields and then at Palmer’s. yard in Howdon. In 1872, Cleland incorporated the Willington yard as a limited liability company - William Cleland & Co Ltd. He died in 1876 and the company changed its name to Clelands Graving Dock and Slipway Co Ltd. In 1920, it became Clelands (Ship repairers) Ltd. Its name was again changed in 1932 when a new company Clelands(Successors) Ltd., was formed
At the height of the depression, in 1934, the yard was bought for £3000 by the Craggs family of the Goole Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. In the same year, the yard began building coasters. Over WW2, the yard’s output was five coasters, 13 tugs, a ferry and a barge.
A new pre-fabrication hall was added to the yard’s facilities in 1954 and in 1957 the main slipway for stern-first launches was extended, with an extension to the yard built on the adjoining site to the west (previously a copper smelting works) for two broadside launching berths. This gave the yard three building berths, the largest of which was 350 feet in length.
By the early 1960s, the yard was employing around 700 staff and began marketing their own standard design of coaster (the Excelship 2600) and gained many orders from established owners for this product.
In 1967, the Craggs family sold Clelands yard and their Goole yard to Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, with both yards becoming the Small Ship Division of Swan Hunter (subsequently joined by Grangemouth Dockyard). Between 1970 and 1983, the yard constructed trawlers (this included the Junella, the last trawler to be launched on the river, in 1975), motor trading vessels, oil-rig supply ships and coasters.
In 1977, the yard became a part of British Shipbuilders. The last vessel launched was the Steyning, in August 1983. On the completion of the fitting out of this ship the yard closed. Since this time, the yard has been used for offshore work and oil-rig module construction, and re-named the Hadrian Yard.
Map Evidence
First Edition Twenty Five Inches to One Mile Ordnance Survey, Sheet ???
The site is annotated as ‘Ship Yard’ on the map, with one substantial slipway ‘Willington Slip’ to the western edge of the yard. A number of buildings lie within the yard, along with six cranes. Two rail lines cross towards the centre-west of the yard. Embayment in the river bank at the east of the yard. Willington copper smelting works lies to the west of the yard and another shipyard to the east. Riverside is generally formalised, and probably represents river wall (quayside) fronting a considerable extension over mud flats created at some time prior to first edition survey.
Second Edition Twenty Five Inches to One Mile Ordnance Survey, Sheet 7
A second slipway has been constructed on the eastern boundary of the site, the latter appearing to have shifted westwards, slightly. The site now annotated as ‘Willington Slipways’. ‘Tharsis’ Copper Works to the west, Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co. to the east.
Fourth Edition Twenty Five Inches to One Mile Ordnance Survey, Sheet 95.7
Buildings extended considerably within the yard and boundary possibly extended to the west, where the Tharsis Copper Works have been abandoned and all structures demolished. Tyne iron Shipbuilding Co. still present to the east {2}..

This was the southern terminus of the Willington Wagonway (SMR 1164). It was out of use by 1895 as 2nd edition OS mapping shows the wagonway as Disused, and the site of the Staiths occupied by a shipyard, (SMR 2211).

Willington Smelting Works (Copper). The 1st edition OS Mapping shows a possible condensing flue with chimney. It was out of use by 1895 when the 2nd edition OS mapping shows the site occupied by a shipyard (HER 2211).

Killingworth Drops, at least four Coal Drops at the southern end of the Killingworth Wagonway (SMR 1083).

Lime Kiln. May have used coal from Killingworth Wagonway (SMR 1083) which passed by en route for Killingworth Drops (SMR 2100).