Royal Navy Dockyard

Royal Navy Dockyards are harbours where either commissioned ships are based, or where ships are overhauled and refitted. Historically, the Royal Navy maintained a string of dockyards around the world, although few are now operating today.

United Kingdom dockyards

During the Victorian period dockyards were divided into groups according to construction capacity:

Great dockyards

• Portsmouth
• Plymouth
• Chatham
• Glasgow

Large dockyards

• Woolwich
• Deptford
• Belfast

Medium dockyards

• Liverpool
• Cardiff
• Newcastle
• Madras, India

Small dockyards

• Halifax, Canada
• Aberdeen
• Edinburgh
• Port New Albion, San Francisco Bay
• Sydney, Australia
• Hong Kong

Former 19th and 20th century dockyards

• Chatham
• Woolwich
• Deptford Dockyard
• Queenstown - now in the Republic of Ireland, it is in the custody of the Irish Defence Forces
• Portland Harbour
• Scapa Flow
• Pembroke Dock
• Sheerness
• Blyth, Northumberland - Submarine base

Current

• HMNB Devonport
• Faslane Naval Base
• Rosyth Dockyard
• HMNB Portsmouth

Overseas dockyards

Current

• Gibraltar, the dockyard is now operated as a commercial facility by Gibdock, although there is still a Royal Navy presence, which provides a maintenance capability. Gibraltar's naval docks are an important base for NATO. British and US nuclear submarines frequently visit the Z berths at Gibraltar (source: Hansard). A Z berth provides the facility for nuclear submarines to visit for operational or recreational purposes, and for non-nuclear repairs.
• Singapore, the original RN base at Sembawang, known formerly as the HMNB Singapore, is no longer in use now by the Singapore Navy, who have since built 2 more modern bases in the island nation. There is, however, a continuing RN presence, along with the RAN and RNZN, under the auspices of the Five Power Defence Arrangements. The US Navy is also present at the former HMNB Singapore. One of the many adjacent bases, formerly known as HMS Terror, is now the main recreation and welfare centre for US Navy personnel, known as the 'Terror Club'.
• Mount Pleasant Base, Falkland Islands
• Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory

Former

• Bermuda. The dockyard on Ireland Island was opened in 1809, on land purchased following US Independence. The Royal Navy had operated from the Town of St. George for a dozen years while an adequate channel was sought by which large naval vessels could reach the West End of Bermuda. The blockade of US Atlantic ports during the American War of 1812 was orchestrated from Bermuda. Bermuda became, first the winter location, and then the permanent location of the Admiralty for North America and the West Indies, as well as the base for a naval squadron. After the Second World War the dockyard was no longer deemed relevant to Royal Navy operations and was closed in 1958. Most of the Dockyard, along with other Admiralty and War Office land in Bermuda was sold to the Colonial Government. However, a small base, HMS Malabar, continued to operate from the South Yard throughout the Cold War. This base was finally closed in 1995, 200 years after the establishment of permanent Royal Navy forces in Bermuda.
• Hong Kong had an RN dockyard from 1859 to 1959, now in the custody of the Chinese PLAN, the yard is located on Stonecutters Island. Originally the yard was on Hong Kong Island at HMS Tamar. The RN also operated at the Kowloon Naval Dockyard from 1901 to 1959 (which is different to the Hong Kong & Whampoa dockyard at Hung Hom, also known as the Kowloon Dockyard.)
• Bombay, British India, the naval dockyard is now in the custody of the Indian Navy
• Simon's Town, South Africa, now in the custody of the SANDF
• Trincomalee, Ceylon, now SLN Dockyard of the Sri Lanka Navy
• Alexandria, Egypt
• Valletta, Malta
• Royal Naval Dockyard, Halifax Halifax, Canada. Operated as HM Dockyard from 1759 to 1905 and sold to Canada in 1907. It became a RCN facility in 1910 and is now known as HMC Dockyard and is a component of CFB Halifax.
• Navy Island Royal Naval Shipyard on Navy Island near Niagara Falls, Ontario (1763-1813)
• Amherstburg Royal Naval Dockyard, Amherstburg, Ontario operated from 1796 to 1813
• Kingston Royal Naval Dockyard, Kingston, Canada. The RN dockyard operated at Point Frederick from 1789 to the late 19th Century; the site was expanded during the War of 1812. It is now closed, this yard was near where the Royal Military College of Canada is now situated.
• Grand River Naval Depot, Port Maitland, Ontario - planned facility was never built
• Esquimalt Royal Navy Dockyard, Esquimalt, Canada. In 1865, the Royal Navy relocated its Pacific Station headquarters from Valparaíso, Chile, to the Esquimalt Harbour. In 1887, a naval base was located at Work Point. In 1905, the Royal Navy abandoned its base, but the Pacific Fleet headquarters of the new Royal Canadian Navy replaced it in 1910.
• Penetanguishene Naval Yard, Penetanguishene, Ontario operated from 1813 to 1834
• Naval Shipyards, York (Upper Canada) from 1798 to 1813
• Île aux Noix

See also

• List of Royal Navy shore establishments
• Naval Dockyards Society
• Royal Naval Armaments Depot
• Arson in royal dockyards

External links

• Naval Dockyards Society