Tyne Pontoons and Dry Docks

Wigham, Richardson and Co. Ltd. formed the Tyne Pontoons and Dry Docks Co. Ltd. in 1880 as a dedicated shiprepair yard. A 260 feet long pontoon dock was designed for the yard by Andrew Taylor, built in 1882. The yard also had a 253 feet long gridiron. A graving dock, 386 feet long by 69 feet wide, was opened at the yard in 1887. The yard became a part of the new Swan Hunter company after merger with Wigham Richardson in 1903. A third dry dock was opened in the mid 1930s, constructed by McAlpine’s and 570 feet long by 82 feet wide. The fourth dry dock was opened at the yard in 1957, 670 feet long by 105 feet wide. In 1966, the Wallsend repair yard, along with Smith’s Docks in North Shields became Swan Hunter Shiprepairers Ltd. The dock is shown with its main constituent components, including docks, pontoons, buildings, cranes and rail links, on the second and later editions of the Ordnance Survey map series for the area. Today it is probably the most extensive shiprepairing facility surviving on the river Tyne.