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Summary - not yet available

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Torbay HER: MTO44124

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SHIPYARD (XVIII to Unknown - 1780 AD (Post))

Full description

Torbay HER record (SMR record). SDV361984.

The site of the shipyards on the south side of Brixham Harbour. The area is shown as part of the land of Humphrey Bartlett in J King's 1781 survey with only one small building present and no slipways or other facilities east of the King's Watering Quay at Deer Rock. [1]

By the 1850s Brixham was said to have 'the largest fishery in England: 270 sail of 20,000 tonnage, and 1600 seamen in employment'. The chain of shipwrights and their yards running east from King's Quay is first seen on the 1838 Tithe map. That owned by Daniel Dewdney (Tithe apportionment 1528) lay adjacent to King's Quay; east again lay a small area of vegetable gardens (1527) - later the site of Rock Villa - before the large yard of Frederick Bradelly (1523). Both are listed as shipowners in White's Directory of 1850.[2] The tithe map does not indicate large buildings in 1838. However by 1862 the OS County Series 1:2500 (contained in a Torbay HBSMR GIS layer) shows (Dewdney's western) yard with a large dry dock and floodgate in place. Braddelly's yard on the east side is shown with jettied slips and a lateral tidal dock; a harbour wall has also been established. The western docks had been superseded by an ice foundry by the beginning of the 20th century; the tidal dock on the east side being converted into a dry dock. From the 1980s the dock side structures started to be demolished and the docks themselves filled in. [3]

In late 1997 demolition was completed, an area of shore side reclaimed; and an archaeological watching brief was undertaken in advance of the construction of the Marina Quay residential development by Exeter Archaeology. The archaeological observations established that the later dry dock in the central area had been largely excavated from the bedrock and the dock wall built within the excavation; a later concrete wall lined the earlier stone-built one. No features earlier than 18th /19th century were observed. [3]

Photo in Behenna shows shipyard at above ngr [4]).

<1> King, J., 1781, Plan of the watering Place at Brixham (Cartographic). SDV362286.

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<2> White, W., 1878, History of Torquay (Monograph). SDV362559.

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<3> Gent, T. H., 1998, Archaeological Observations at Midas Homes Marina Quay Development, Brixham Harbour, p.2 (* Torbay Report - Interim/Research/Specialist). SDV362294.

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<4> Behenna, J., 1974, Westcountry Shipwrecks, p.9 photo (Monograph). SDV362564.

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Sources / Further Reading

SDV361984	SMR record: Torbay HER record.
SDV362286	Cartographic: King, J.. 1781. Plan of the watering Place at Brixham.
SDV362559	Monograph: White, W.. 1878. History of Torquay. .
SDV362294	* Torbay Report - Interim/Research/Specialist: Gent, T. H.. 1998. Archaeological Observations at Midas Homes Marina Quay Development, Brixham Harbour. . EA97.77. p.2.
	Linked documents:1
SDV362564	Monograph: Behenna, J.. 1974. Westcountry Shipwrecks. . p.9 photo.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7850 - Watching Brief by Exeter Archaeology - Oct 1997

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.