History of Seaham - Stories and remarkable and memorable events in the history of Seaham Ships, Shipbuilding and the Docks Shipbuilding at Seaham Harbour: The forgotten industry of Seaham
Shipbuilding at Seaham Harbour: -
Shipbuilding is a forgotten industry in the history of our town of Seaham. Shipbuilding required a variety of skilled workers and tradesmen such as sail makers and riggers, shipwrights, carpenters and blacksmiths. Every trade and business needed for building ships could be found within two hundred yards from the patent slipway and shipyard in the South Dock. These included the Seaham Foundry; a Sawpit; a Rope Works; a timber yard; a steam mill and of course chandlers’ shops in North Terrace. The area we refer to these days as the “Ropery Walk” was named after the long "walk" between the two ends of the fibre twisting machine used to manufacture rope which were essential in the fitting out and rigging of ships. The standard length of rope required by the Royal Navy was 1000 feet and often bicycles were used by the men working on the rope machine to cycle from one end of the Ropery Walk to the other.
During the 19th century thirty-six ships were built at Seaham Harbour. The shipyards are now gone. The patent slipway, pontoons, dry dock and workshops are all gone and no trace remains to remind Seaham of this once flourishing industry. The ships built at Seaham Harbour are here no longer. They were either sunk or were sent to the breakers yard many years ago. Many sailed the seven seas.
One mighty little ship built at Seaham Harbour was the brig “Robert and Mary” which went on a two-year voyage tramping cargo around South America before returning home. Although she was only 285 tons that sturdy brig endured and rode the worst of Atlantic and tropical storms.
Until the research for this book was carried out only four ships built at Seaham could be named and very little detail was known about the five Seaham shipbuilders. This book “Shipbuilding at Seaham Harbour” is available as an eBook or paperback from Amazon. Read the report by “Blue Peter” in 1947 of the mighty little Seaham ship “Robert and Mary” and its amazing journey on the SeahamPast history website ….
The journey of the Robert & Mary (built at Seaham Harbour)
Aerial view of Seaham Harbour reproduced with the kind permission of Colin and Alan Barratt
Available now on Amazon Books at ..... Shipbuilding at Seaham Harbour: The forgotten history of a maritime town eBook : Cooper, Fred: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
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