Devonshire Dock Hall
| Devonshire Dock Hall | |
|---|---|
 Devonshire Dock Hall viewed from Walney Island | |
| General information | |
| Type | Shipbuilding hall |
| Location | Barrow-in-Furness, England, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 54°06′37″N 3°14′15″W / 54.1104°N 3.2374°W |
| Completed | 1986 |
| Owner | BAE Systems Submarine Solutions |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Steel frame |
| Floor area | 25,000 square metres (270,000 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Alfred McAlpine |
| Main contractor | Alfred McAlpine |
Devonshire Dock Hall (often abbreviated to DDH) is a large shipbuilding complex that forms part of the BAE Systems Submarine Solutions shipyard in the Barrow Island area of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England.
History
Constructed in 1986 for Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering, the covered assembly facility was named Devonshire Dock Hall (after the dock that lies next to it), it was completed by Alfred McAlpine plc[1] on land that was created by infilling part of the Devonshire Dock with 2.4 million tonnes of sand pumped from nearby Roosecote Sands. The purpose of the indoor shipbuilding facility was to protect vessels from external weather conditions and prevent satellites from photographing secret technologies involved. DDH is the tallest building in Cumbria at 51 m and could be described as a 'Groundscraper' having an overall length of 260 m (850 ft), width of 58 m (190 ft) and an area of 25,000 square metres (270,000 sq ft) - over 6 acres. DDH is the second largest indoor shipbuilding construction complex of its kind in Europe after Meyer Werft in Germany[2][3] and is visible from miles around, most notably from the Blackpool Promenade which is over 20 miles away.[4]
In the late 1980s and early 1990s it was known colloquially as "Maggie's Farm" in reference to the then Prime Minister of the UK Margaret Thatcher, whose Conservative Party government were upgrading the UK's submarine-launched nuclear weapons from Polaris/Poseiden to the Trident system on board the Vanguard class boats.
DDH provides a controlled environment for ship and submarine assembly, and avoids the difficulties caused by building on the slope of traditional slipways. Outside the hall, a 24,300 tonne capacity shiplift allows completed vessels to be lowered into the water independently of the tide. Vessels can also be lifted out of the water and transferred to the hall.[5] The shiplift was the largest in the world upon completion.[6] The first use of the DDH was for construction of the Vanguard-class submarines (Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant and Vengeance). The shipyard is currently constructing the Astute-class submarines the first of which was launched on 8 June 2007.[7] As of 2013, the Royal Navy submarines Artful, Audacious, Agamemnon and Anson are all under construction inside Devonshire Dock Hall.
References
Sources
- Gray, Tony (1987). The Road to Success: Alfred McAlpine 1935 - 1985. Rainbird Publishing.
Coordinates: 54°06′37″N 3°14′15″W / 54.1104°N 3.2374°W