TYNE BUILT SHIPS
A history of Tyne shipbuilders and the ships that they built

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Above: Select the required shipbuilder by using initial letter of the surname eg: Armstrong, Palmer or Readhead.
KEY BELOW: D / H / P (D means basic dimensions are shown; H means a history is given; P means one or more photographs are available)


Shipbuilder: Robert Stephenson & Co, Hebburn (1888 - 1909)


In 1887, Robert Stephenson took over a disused shipbuilding yard on the elbow of the River Tyne at Hebburn. The yard was formerly occupied by McIntyre & Co Ltd and had been empty since 1884. It had a river frontage of 800 feet and five building berths within a total area of 17 acres. In 1888 a boiler shop was erected on the site and a shear-legs capable of lifting 100 tons set up. Their shipbuilding numbering system continued the sequence started by McIntyre in 1884 and therefore starting with number 5. A large graving dock, 700 feet long, 90 feet wide and 29 feet deep at the entrance was added in the early 1900s. The Hebburn Yard did not prove successful, and the last ship was completed in 1909. The yard became part of Palmers Hebburn Co Ltd in 1912. With Palmers' collapse in 1932, the yard was again closed, but re-opened in 1934 as part of Vickers Armstrong, as a ship repairing yard. During the Second World War, the yard was heavily involved in the repair of warships. Following closure in 1970 the yard was merged with Swan Hunter in 1972.

The above photo shows the site of the Stephenson yard at Hebburn. Even though the photo dates from 1936 the key features of the Stephenson yard are still visible. Note the dry dock at bottom centre and to the right of that the long diagonal crane gantry, then the building berths and finally at the top right of the photo the Hawthorn-Leslie yard is just visible with a ship on the berth.


Yd No Year Ship Name D / H / P
5 1888 Endeavour D / H / P
6 1888 Glen Caladh Tower D / H
7 1888 Lightship No 60 D / H / P
8 1888 Lightship No 61 D / H / P
9 1889 Hindoo D / H
10 1889 Pocahontas D / H
11 1889 Pocasset D / H
12 1889 Kolpino D / H
13 1889 Durham D / H
14 1889 Westhall D / H
15 1890 Matatua D / H
16 1890 Arroyo D / H
17 1892 Sybille D / H / P
18 1890 Cheruskia D / H
19 1891 Francisco D / H / P
20 1891 Cornhill D / H / P
21 1891 Glenesk D / H
22 1892 Lightship No 64 D / H
23 1892 Lightship No 65 D / H
24 1892 Unnamed pontoons x 6
25 1893 Resolve D / H
1893 Lock gates x 2 for Avonmouth
1893 Lock gates x 4 for Barry
28 1893 Unnamed pontoon
29 1894 Undaunted D / H
30 1894 Afghan Prince D / H
31 1893 Avonmouth floating dock D / H
32 1895 Torino D / H
33 1895 Unnamed barge
34 1895 Unnamed barge
35 1895 Unnamed barge
36 1895 Unnamed barge
37 1895 Unnamed barge
38 1895 Unnamed barge
39 1895 Unnamed barge
40 1895 Unnamed barge
41 1895 Unnamed barge
42 1895 Unnamed barge
43 1896 Caisson - Barry
44 1896 Dock Gates x 2 for Glasgow
45 1896 Shadwell D / H
46 1896 Don D / H
47 1898 Unnamed dock gate
48 1898 Unnamed dock gate
49 1901 Floating dock for Spain - A D / H / P
50 1898 Vestal D / H / P
51 1898 Victorious D / H
52 1898 Rathfran D / H
53 1898 Caisson - Barry D
54 1898 Atlas No 3 D / H
55 1898 Ranger (TT) D / H / P
56 1898 Regalia (TT) D / H / P
57 1899 West Point D / H
58 1899 Montauk Point D / H / P
59 1899 Garonne D / H
60 1899 Loire D / H
61 1900 Aleppo D / H
62 1900 Colenso D / H
63 1901 Floating dock for Spain - B D / H / P
64 1901 Elswick Manor D / H / P
65 1901 Elswick Tower D / H / P
66 1901 Arab D / H / P
67 1901 Elswick Grange D / H / P
68 1901 Elswick House D / H
69 1902 Indiana D / H
70 1902 Luzon D / H
71 1902 Novo D / H / P
72 1902 Morpeth D / H
73 1902 Meldon D / H
74 1902 R T C No 14 D / H / P
75 1902 R T C No 15 D / H / P
76 1902 R T C No 16 D / H / P
77 1902 R T C No 17 D / H / P
78 1903 Frank Coverdale D / H
79 1903 Knutsford D / H / P
80 1903 Irkutsk D / H / P
81 1903 Sabia D / H
82 1904 Columba D / H
83 1904 Waddon D / H / P
84 1904 No 3 D / H
85 1904 No 4 D / H
86 1905 Reliance D / H / P
87 1905 King Arthur D / H
88 1905 Lydford D / H
89 1905 Muriel Coverdale D / H
90 1905 Teesbridge D / H / P
91 1905 Huttonwood D / H / P
92 1906 Dinsdalehall D / H
93 1905 Ethelstan D / H / P
94 1905 Arlington Court D / H / P
95 1906 King Edward D / H / P
96 1905 No 7 D / H
97 1905 No 8 D / H
98 1906 Tiverton D / H
99 1906 Okehampton D / H
100 1906 Iris D / H / P
101 1906 Daffodil D / H / P
102 1906 Sommerstad D / H / P
103 1907 River Forth D / H / P
104 1907 Cliftonhall D / H
105 1906 Ethelwolf D / H
106 1907 Crossby D / H / P
107 1906 King Howel D / H / P
108 1906 King Malcolm D / H
109 1907 Derwenthall D / H
110 1906 Edmonton D / H / P
111 1907 Marina D / H / P
112 1907 Kathleen D / H
113 1908 Dorington Court D / H / P
114 1909 Navarra D / H
115 1908 Nora D / H
116 1908 Gwladys D / H
117 1907 Stella D / H / P
118 1908 Beaverton D / H / P
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