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Summary

The site was first used for shipbuilding during the Napoleonic Wars. After a gap of some 70 years a shipyard was established here by Simpson, Strickland & Co in 1891. This was taken over by Philips & Sons during the First World War. The yard, despite being bombed in 1942, made a significant contribution to the war effort during the Second World War constructing with the works at Sandquay some 230 vessels including minesweepers and motor launches. Repair work was also undertaken. Shipbuilding ceased in the second half of the 20th century and the site is now Noss on Dart Marina.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX85SE/9

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SHIPYARD (XIX to Late 20th Century - 1801 AD to 2000 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Engineering Works' shown. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Map object based on this source.

Minchinton, W. E., 1976, Industrial Archaeology in Devon (Monograph). SDV7016.

Mann, R., 1991, Boat Trip Down the Dart: Totnes to Dartmouth (Monograph). SDV172387.

Clamp, A., 1994, Dartmouth and Kingswear during the Second World War, 18-20 (Monograph). SDV341255.

Philips & Son made a major contribution to the war effort by constructing 230 vessels at the Sandquay and Noss works, employing almost 600 people for the duration.

Wasley, G., 1994, Devon at War 1939-1945, 110-111 (Monograph). SDV165766.

The Noss shipyard on the River Dart was bombed on 18th September 1942. Phillips & Son of Dartmouth was a small but important yard. Had building yards at Sandquay and The Noss works upriver. A non-magnetic vessel was built here for the admiralty in 1939. During the war Phillips built minesweepers, air-sea-rescue launches, boom-defence vessels, fleet water carriers, minelayers and naval armament boats. Repair work was also undertaken.

Clarke, N. J., 1995, Adolf Hitler's Holiday Snaps, 28 (Monograph). SDV24161.

'Schffban Werft' recorded on 1940 Luftwaffe aerial photograph.

Jury, R., 1996, Noss Shipyard (Worksheet). SDV172384.

Site visit on 17th June 1996. Phillips built Fairmile motor launches and minesweepers at Noss shipyard during World War II.

Exeter Archaeology, 2002, Archaeological Assessment of Noss Marina Kingswear, Devon (Report - Assessment). SDV336131.

The site at Higher Noss Point was first used as a ship building yard by Benjamin Tanner from about 1795 to 1807. It then appears to have been abandoned until acquired by Simpson, Strickland & Co. in 1891. By 1897 230 men were employed at the yard, which had increased to 450 by 1914. A plan of the site shows it to include wet docks, fitting shops, boat building sheds, a sawmill and offices.
The business, however, ceased during the First World War and the yard was acquired by Philip & Sons Ltd. Philips expanded the site with the addition of a large fitting shop and platers' shop and a power house with an adjoining coppersmiths' and plumbers' shop.
The railway which originally passed through the yard via Longwood Viaduct and Noss Viaduct was realigned in the 1920s along an embankment around the east side of the yard. This meant the loss of the boat building shops on that side of the yard, which were relocated to the Lower Creek.
Five hundred men were employed at the yard during the Second World War. Together with Sandquay Yard, also owned by Philips, they built 263 vessels including minesweepers and air-sea rescue launches despite production being affected by a bombing raid in 1942..
Production continued after the war, at first successfully but a down turn in the shipbuilding industry in the 1960s led to a reduction in the workforce and shift towards maintenance and repair rather than construction. Reclamation works subseqently enabled the provision of winter boat storage and a boat park. The repair and engineering division was closed in 1999 and the yard now provides for the leisure craft industry. See report for further details and descriptions of individual buildings.

Dyer, M. J., 2002, Greenway, Galmpton: Archaeological and Historic Landscape Survey: Part 1, 10 (Report - Survey). SDV169254.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8211 - Archaeological recording of WWII structures at Noss Marina
• EDV8210 - Archaeological assessment of Noss Marina

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