Great Eastern Chains
The steam-ship SS Great Eastern, built in 1854-59, was conceived and designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859) for the Eastern Steam Navigation Company (ESNC). It was built initially by John Scott Russell, until the project destroyed the working relationship between Scott Russell and Brunel and drove the former to bankruptcy, after which construction came under the direct supervision of Brunel. At 692ft in length, with a beam of 83ft, the ship was six times bigger than any vessel yet built and its construction was a considerable feat of engineering, which was documented in a remarkable series of photographs. Its launch, or attempted launch, was a major public spectacle, recorded extensively in the press and vividly described by Charles Dickens. However, the project was also extremely problematic and ultimately led not only to the bankrupting of Scott Russell in 1855, but brought on Brunel's early death. The ship never made the long sea journeys for which she was designed, although she went on to a successful career as a cable-layer, and was eventually broken up in the early 1890s. Remains of the purpose-built, and heavily engineered, launch ways are believed to survive, largely below-ground, on the northern banks of the Thames...
...The Great Eastern was built in Millwall, which by the mid-C19 was an important centre for iron ship building. The area had been dominated by the neighbouring establishments of the Scottish engineers William Fairbairn and David Napier. William Fairbairn's Millwall Iron Works was laid out in 1836-7. More than 100 ships were built here by Fairbairn, but by 1848 it was occupied by John Scott Russell and his partners Albert and Richard Alexander Robinson (later J Scott Russell & Company). They made various products but the best-known part of their business was ship-building. The Napier Yard operated until about 1852, when the firm relocated to the Clyde, and most of the site was then leased to John Scott Russell as the building site for the Great Eastern. Scott Russell was one of the leading exponents of the emerging science of naval architecture, and his works had a capability for iron fabrication second to none. There was no other place in the world which had the skills and resources necessary to build a vessel of this size. He and Brunel had worked together previously and, at least at the inception of the project, the two men had a high regard for one another.
The width of the Thames at Millwall, coupled with the size of the Great Eastern, meant that a traditional stern-first launch would be impossible; the only alternative was a sideways launch. Before construction could begin, the building site had to be strengthened to bear the weight of the hull and the necessary machinery. The building area was piled with 12 to 15 inch square oak piles, of 20 to 38ft in length, driven into the mud 5 foot apart, and left standing four foot proud; these were topped with a wooden platform. The exact details of how the ship would launch were not finalised until it was nearing completion, and the two launch ways which ran down from the construction platform to the river, were not constructed until 1857...
...After the construction of the Great Eastern, the site continued in various industrial uses into the late C20. In 1900 part of the building site for the ship, which included the area occupied by the launch ways, was levelled and a river wall built. When the site was cleared in the 1980s remains of part of the southern launch way were uncovered. These timbers underwent a preservative treatment and were left exposed for public display. Beyond the river wall some timbers, and the concrete that surrounds them, are visible for both launch ways when the tide is out. When the area occupied by the northern launch way was developed for housing in the 1990s, pile foundations were used to minimise the damage to underlying archaeology.
[Historic England]
Taken during 'Chimneys & Tunnels Along the River' by Dotmaker Tours.
Great Eastern Chains
The steam-ship SS Great Eastern, built in 1854-59, was conceived and designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859) for the Eastern Steam Navigation Company (ESNC). It was built initially by John Scott Russell, until the project destroyed the working relationship between Scott Russell and Brunel and drove the former to bankruptcy, after which construction came under the direct supervision of Brunel. At 692ft in length, with a beam of 83ft, the ship was six times bigger than any vessel yet built and its construction was a considerable feat of engineering, which was documented in a remarkable series of photographs. Its launch, or attempted launch, was a major public spectacle, recorded extensively in the press and vividly described by Charles Dickens. However, the project was also extremely problematic and ultimately led not only to the bankrupting of Scott Russell in 1855, but brought on Brunel's early death. The ship never made the long sea journeys for which she was designed, although she went on to a successful career as a cable-layer, and was eventually broken up in the early 1890s. Remains of the purpose-built, and heavily engineered, launch ways are believed to survive, largely below-ground, on the northern banks of the Thames...
...The Great Eastern was built in Millwall, which by the mid-C19 was an important centre for iron ship building. The area had been dominated by the neighbouring establishments of the Scottish engineers William Fairbairn and David Napier. William Fairbairn's Millwall Iron Works was laid out in 1836-7. More than 100 ships were built here by Fairbairn, but by 1848 it was occupied by John Scott Russell and his partners Albert and Richard Alexander Robinson (later J Scott Russell & Company). They made various products but the best-known part of their business was ship-building. The Napier Yard operated until about 1852, when the firm relocated to the Clyde, and most of the site was then leased to John Scott Russell as the building site for the Great Eastern. Scott Russell was one of the leading exponents of the emerging science of naval architecture, and his works had a capability for iron fabrication second to none. There was no other place in the world which had the skills and resources necessary to build a vessel of this size. He and Brunel had worked together previously and, at least at the inception of the project, the two men had a high regard for one another.
The width of the Thames at Millwall, coupled with the size of the Great Eastern, meant that a traditional stern-first launch would be impossible; the only alternative was a sideways launch. Before construction could begin, the building site had to be strengthened to bear the weight of the hull and the necessary machinery. The building area was piled with 12 to 15 inch square oak piles, of 20 to 38ft in length, driven into the mud 5 foot apart, and left standing four foot proud; these were topped with a wooden platform. The exact details of how the ship would launch were not finalised until it was nearing completion, and the two launch ways which ran down from the construction platform to the river, were not constructed until 1857...
...After the construction of the Great Eastern, the site continued in various industrial uses into the late C20. In 1900 part of the building site for the ship, which included the area occupied by the launch ways, was levelled and a river wall built. When the site was cleared in the 1980s remains of part of the southern launch way were uncovered. These timbers underwent a preservative treatment and were left exposed for public display. Beyond the river wall some timbers, and the concrete that surrounds them, are visible for both launch ways when the tide is out. When the area occupied by the northern launch way was developed for housing in the 1990s, pile foundations were used to minimise the damage to underlying archaeology.
[Historic England]
Taken during 'Chimneys & Tunnels Along the River' by Dotmaker Tours.