Posted:  Tuesday 15 September 2009

Another Nautical Theme for
North East Associates

- September 15th -

Today we were heading south towards Hartlepool's Maritime Experience". We had hardly crossed the Tyne on the Redheugh Bridge when someone mentioned the hanging of a monkey there. John Scott, fact or fiction?

Seriously though, present day Hartlepool resulted in the joining of two communities in the 1960's - Hartlepool, or Old Hartlepool (or Headland) which started as a village in the 7th century on a headland overlooking a natural harbour, and the 19th century development of West Hartlepool as a coal port and shipbuilding centre.

Like the rest of the north-east coal shipments and 'traditional' shipbuilding have gone completely from here but the waterfront areas have been transformed through the building of a marina in the old docks and the addition of maritime and other museum facilities, with a large shopping development nearby.

Three miles of golden sand, and Seaton Carew, keep Hartlepool independent of industrial Teesside to the south.

So, sixty-plus north-east Associates descended on the town on an mostly overcast but dry day, primarily to visit the dockyard area.

What to see?  What to do?

First for most was a cuppa at the coffee shop in the Hartlepool Historic Dockyard attraction.

The most striking museum exhibit in the dockyard is HMS Trincomalee, a frigate built in Bombay from teak and brought to Portsmouth in 1819.
It was built in India as apparently there was a shortage of oak and other resources in Britain at the time, as a result of the Napoleonic Wars.

Decommissioned towards the end of the 19th century she was at Falmouth - under the name of HMS Foudroyant - until 2001, being fully restored then.
She is now is the oldest British warship afloat.

Vertically challenged people are at an advantage on board as 'ceilings' become progressively lower as you descend the steep ladders through the lower decks.

Around the dock many period businesses, shops and other features depict life at the time of the frigate's service.  These include several exhibitions, including an exciting tour of the ship "HMS Prosperity" with full-size 3D model areas where the scenes - sometimes gory - are brought to life with vivid audio support.

Included is a fight with a French man-of-war - and guess who wins!

Sadly, the compact nature of the site doesn't allow anyone with a standard camera to obtain a photo of the vessel in its entirety.

Possibly taking pride of place though, is the Hartlepool built PSS Wingfield Castle (Paddle Steam Ship) which has also been restored and kept afloat.

Built and launched in 1934 for the LNER her forty-year working life was as one of three similar ferries sailing across the Humber between Hull and New Holland, with frequent summer Sunday excursions too.  Primarily for passengers - a few cars and some livestock could also be carried - the service was withdrawn in 1974 when the Humber Road Bridge was opened.

Open to visitors for free, including the workings of the vessel, there's a coffee shop in the forward passenger section.

The Wingfield Castle's true sister ship, PSS Tattershall Castle, serves as a floating bar and restaurant in the London area.

The paddle steamer is part of the Museum of Hartlepool, adjacent to the dockyard complex and which tells of the area's history from prehistoric times up to today.

Museum curiosities!

Among notable locals was St. Hilda who was Abbess at the monastery here until being transferred to Whitby in 657.
Another is Reg Smythe, the creator of Andy Capp the comic strip character - any resemblance with anyone present today is pure coincidence!

Up-to-date and just across the road from the harbour is a large shopping complex which was also an attraction for many, who returned in good time for the short journey back to Newcastle.

ph  15/09/2009

pictures:  ph

Footnote

Tony Hill, a London Plant Region Associate writes:

"I enjoyed this account of your visit to the Historic Dockyard in Hartlepool. Especially interesting was your account of HMS Foudroyant because when I was a lad I recall the hull (no masts as far as I can recall) was moored in Portsmouth Harbour and used as a training ship.  On visits I noticed it had gone but had not realised it had been moved to Falmouth and then to Hartlepool." Tony then added: "I can't resist exploring things further.  It did have a kind of central mast but no rigging as I recalled.  Certainly not the grand affair you showed on the website. On exploring further I discoverd the boat went from Falmouth to Portsmouth, not the other way round.  In fact the boat I remember is shown in the attached picture of the ship moored at Falmouth."

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