A New Way of Buiding Concrete Ships - The Ritchie Unit System
Held by the Lancashire Records Office, Bow lane, Preston
Due to a shortage of steel during the first world war, several experiments were made in the construction of ferro-concrete ships. Land was leased from Preston Corporation by the company Hughes and Stirling in 1914 for this purpose.
Four slipways were constructed adjacent to the bull nose on the south side of the river. Orders were placed by the shipping controller (London) for Ten 700 ton engineless barges. These barges were much in demand for bringing iron ore to Britain from Spain.
The method of construction adopted was the 'Ritchie Unit System' of pre cast sections assembled on the slipways. The first ship completed was the 'Cretemanor' (PD110) launched in September 1919. The second ship to make her way down the stocks was the 'Cretemoor' (PD 112) launched in January 1920. Work was started but never finished on two further unnamed vessels.
After the cessation of hostilities the scheme was abandoned and the yard fell into disuse. Cretemanor was transferred to the London board of trade and then on to Crete shipping Co (UK) She was sold to Spain in 1927 then sunk in harbor construction. On December 10th 1920 Cretemoor struck a submerged object off Gt. Yarmouth while under tow between Newcastle and Dunkirk. She was also bieng towed by a concrete tug (the Creteboom) and now lies on the bottom somewhere off Dunkirk.
For a short period after Hughes and Stirling moved off the site, the facilities were taken over by Ritchie Concrete Engineering and Shipbuilding Company. They then succesfully launched a small coaster 'Burscough' which ended it's days as a foundation for a jetty in the Isle of Man.
The chapter was not yet closed on concrete ship contruction at Preston. A small firm Steelcrete Marine Ltd. set up operations just inland from the old slipways in 1970 to produce specialized leasurecraft such as yachts and canal cruisers. The smooth hulls of several abandoned craft could still be seen amongst the weeds in the early 80's
For many years after the main slipways had been abandoned the frames of the two unfinished H&S vessels lay on the stocks but were eventually demolished in the mid 60's.
No trace remains today of this enterprise other than a few bricks and the odd bit of concrete on the river bank. The Ribble Steam Railway occupies most of the site.
Dimensions of Cretemanor & Cretemoor: 747grt 712 nrt / 54.86m x 9.58m x 5.79m
Cancelled orders: PD 111, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119.
For anyone who may have further interest English Heritage has assembled a number of photographs depicting the Ferro - Concrete shipbuilding activity that ocurred at the docks here... viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/story/intro.aspx?story...
A New Way of Buiding Concrete Ships - The Ritchie Unit System
Held by the Lancashire Records Office, Bow lane, Preston
Due to a shortage of steel during the first world war, several experiments were made in the construction of ferro-concrete ships. Land was leased from Preston Corporation by the company Hughes and Stirling in 1914 for this purpose.
Four slipways were constructed adjacent to the bull nose on the south side of the river. Orders were placed by the shipping controller (London) for Ten 700 ton engineless barges. These barges were much in demand for bringing iron ore to Britain from Spain.
The method of construction adopted was the 'Ritchie Unit System' of pre cast sections assembled on the slipways. The first ship completed was the 'Cretemanor' (PD110) launched in September 1919. The second ship to make her way down the stocks was the 'Cretemoor' (PD 112) launched in January 1920. Work was started but never finished on two further unnamed vessels.
After the cessation of hostilities the scheme was abandoned and the yard fell into disuse. Cretemanor was transferred to the London board of trade and then on to Crete shipping Co (UK) She was sold to Spain in 1927 then sunk in harbor construction. On December 10th 1920 Cretemoor struck a submerged object off Gt. Yarmouth while under tow between Newcastle and Dunkirk. She was also bieng towed by a concrete tug (the Creteboom) and now lies on the bottom somewhere off Dunkirk.
For a short period after Hughes and Stirling moved off the site, the facilities were taken over by Ritchie Concrete Engineering and Shipbuilding Company. They then succesfully launched a small coaster 'Burscough' which ended it's days as a foundation for a jetty in the Isle of Man.
The chapter was not yet closed on concrete ship contruction at Preston. A small firm Steelcrete Marine Ltd. set up operations just inland from the old slipways in 1970 to produce specialized leasurecraft such as yachts and canal cruisers. The smooth hulls of several abandoned craft could still be seen amongst the weeds in the early 80's
For many years after the main slipways had been abandoned the frames of the two unfinished H&S vessels lay on the stocks but were eventually demolished in the mid 60's.
No trace remains today of this enterprise other than a few bricks and the odd bit of concrete on the river bank. The Ribble Steam Railway occupies most of the site.
Dimensions of Cretemanor & Cretemoor: 747grt 712 nrt / 54.86m x 9.58m x 5.79m
Cancelled orders: PD 111, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119.
For anyone who may have further interest English Heritage has assembled a number of photographs depicting the Ferro - Concrete shipbuilding activity that ocurred at the docks here... viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/story/intro.aspx?story...