One place I've had on my radar for a while, was an absolute misson here, trying to find an entry point, sneaking about, avoiding cameras and security, however it was well worth it in the end.
The shipyard was huge, I felt quite intimated by the size of the place. I could of spent hours in here but time was ticking. Some parts of the yard are still in use and have workers on site, but luckily I wasn't spotted.
There is an online petition and there have been protests to save the former shipyard.
There was also a few abandoned cars here as well which was a nice little bonus.
History on the place.
To this day, Pallion Shipyard remains the only standing shipyard to remain in the city since it closed at the end of the 1980s.
The story, now recorded in a new book, began in 1837 when William Doxford built a small wooden ship on the Wear. In 1840 he opened the shipyard, which produced ships until 1988.
Although the peak of production was in the mid 19th century, perhaps the most historically interesting period for the yard was World War II. Despite the obvious threat of war, Doxford’s had been surprisingly quiet before September 1939.
But their output between 1939 and 1945 was 75 ships with a combined tonnage of around 480,000. This was about 200,000 tonnes ahead of their nearest rivals on the Wear, JL Thompson.
There were nine shipyards in Sunderland then. But not only did Doxford’s outstrip the other eight, it launched the greatest general cargo ship output of all shipyards on the British mainland.
Cargo ships never captured the imagination in the same way as war ships. But they were arguably more important for one simple reason.
There are many tales from the war of British heroism, ingenuity and resilience. But humans can’t function without food and Sunderland’s shipbuilders were essential in feeding Britain.
It was why Hitler was keen to bomb the yards, not least Doxford’s, and why George VI visited in 1941 to boost morale. But World War II provides just one part of the Doxford story.
As a major employer and the heartbeat of Wearside’s economy for 148 years, it gave many thousands of people transferable skills that also benefited other industries aside of shipbuilding.
Thanks for looking.
The shipyard was huge, I felt quite intimated by the size of the place. I could of spent hours in here but time was ticking. Some parts of the yard are still in use and have workers on site, but luckily I wasn't spotted.
There is an online petition and there have been protests to save the former shipyard.
There was also a few abandoned cars here as well which was a nice little bonus.
History on the place.
To this day, Pallion Shipyard remains the only standing shipyard to remain in the city since it closed at the end of the 1980s.
The story, now recorded in a new book, began in 1837 when William Doxford built a small wooden ship on the Wear. In 1840 he opened the shipyard, which produced ships until 1988.
Although the peak of production was in the mid 19th century, perhaps the most historically interesting period for the yard was World War II. Despite the obvious threat of war, Doxford’s had been surprisingly quiet before September 1939.
But their output between 1939 and 1945 was 75 ships with a combined tonnage of around 480,000. This was about 200,000 tonnes ahead of their nearest rivals on the Wear, JL Thompson.
There were nine shipyards in Sunderland then. But not only did Doxford’s outstrip the other eight, it launched the greatest general cargo ship output of all shipyards on the British mainland.
Cargo ships never captured the imagination in the same way as war ships. But they were arguably more important for one simple reason.
There are many tales from the war of British heroism, ingenuity and resilience. But humans can’t function without food and Sunderland’s shipbuilders were essential in feeding Britain.
It was why Hitler was keen to bomb the yards, not least Doxford’s, and why George VI visited in 1941 to boost morale. But World War II provides just one part of the Doxford story.
As a major employer and the heartbeat of Wearside’s economy for 148 years, it gave many thousands of people transferable skills that also benefited other industries aside of shipbuilding.
Thanks for looking.
south reservation 
