PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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YEARS OF PROSPERITY
The Great Western Docks at Millbay, Plymouth, were opened informally in February 1857 and during the remainder of that century prospered, largely as a result of their connection to the South Devon and Great Western Railways. Piers were improved, a deepwater berth was constructed, the railway lines around the dockside laid down, new hydraulic lock gates installed and a permanent home for the lifeboat established.
Many marine and general engineering companies set up business around the Docks. Messrs Ellacott & Son were at the East Quay from 1871 to 1921; Messrs Bickle & Company Ltd were south of the Graving Dock from 1887 until 1958; and Messrs Willoughby Brothers Ltd were beside the Graving Dock from 1857 until 1969. The latter were particularly active, carrying Board of Trade inspections of ships, re-fitting and repairing in addition to building vessels for the Royal Mail Steamship Company, HM Customs & Excise, the War Department and many others, as well as chain ferries for use at Torpoint and Saltash locally and at Littlehampton and Felixstowe as well. It is said that many men who began their career as fitters at Willoughby's went on to become chief engineers on ocean-going vessels. And those companies were supported by others, ranging from corn merchants, shipbrokers, coal merchants, engineers, shipping agents, shipsmiths, a ship surveyor and timber merchants. Passenger traffic grew as more packets steamers and liners called at regular times. For their benefit The Plymouth Coffee House Ltd operated a refreshment room and Mr Philip Ellis ran the bookstall. The Outer Basin consisted of Millbay Pier at the entrance, where passengers from the liners were landed; then the pontoon pier, Trinity Pier, and finally East Quay. In the 1960s the pontoon was towed a short distance away to be broken up but this proved much more difficult than expected and its remains ended up left against the Trinity Pier. It was replaced by the Princess Royal Pier. On the opposite side of the Docks were the Lifeboat Station, and West Wharf, with its deepwater berth. The Lifeboat House ceased to be used after 1926 when it was found more efficient to leave the new motor vessel moored in the water. At the West Wharf was handled the vast amounts of grain that formed the main import of the Docks, some 75,000 tons a year. Read more about the construction of West Wharf.......... Today the West Wharf is overshadowed by the huge grain silo that was built in the 1930s for Messrs Spillers Ltd. Ships would discharge their grain at the rate of 150 tons an hour by means of suction pumps. It was processed at a mill just outside the Dock area. Trinity Pier was built for the use of Trinity House but later became the calling point of Coast Lines' boats sailing to Ireland and Liverpool. It had first hydraulic and later electric cranes for dealing with the cargo. The lock gates to the Inner Basin were between South Quay to the left (port) and Glasgow Wharf to the right (starboard). A swing bridge afforded connection between the two. Glasgow Wharf is sometimes referred to as Clyde Wharf because this was until October 1966 the base of the Clyde Shipping Company. South Quay was used once a month for the discharge of coal from Blyth for the Plymouth Co-operative Society, who had a depot nearby. At other times the Quay was used to export scrap metal to Spain, Italy and The Netherlands. The inner continuation of East Quay was where Messrs Jewson Brothers Ltd unloaded loose timber in a rough state and cut and trimmed it into the customer's required size. They used a special lifting device called "Pearce's Gear", invented and patented by Mr Cyril Pearce, the chief foreman, which they found safer and more efficient than the normal rope slings. It enabled them to increase their unloading speed from 30 to 65 standards per day. North Quay backed on to Caroline Place, Stonehouse, and later in its life was occupied by a calor-gas storage plant holding about 870 tons of Algerian gas which was piped to Le Havre in France and brought across the Channel in tankers. Finally came West Quay, where Messrs Willoughby's and the Graving Dock were situated. In addition to liner and cargo traffic, the Docks have been used by a number of other organisations over the years. The Board of Trade maintained a launch here until 1930, the last of which was the ominously-named "Gadfly". HM Customs have always been present, of course, and their Waterguard Office on Millbay Pier was often visited by the revenue cutters in the course of their patrolling the coast. Even the Port Health Authority maintained a launch for taking doctors to incoming ships and to act as a contact between shore and the hospital ships moored in Plymouth Sound up until the 1930s. In September 1940 the Dock Manager, Mr E W Gould, retired. And between 1967 and 1977 the Docks were the base for the ships of the National Environment Research Council, the "John Murray" and later the "Shackleton". Read more about the variety of goods imported into the Port of Plymouth.......... Sources:
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