by hartlepoolmonkey » Sat Oct 08, 2016 9:13 am
This posting about the docks caused me a sleepless night last night! I should really know more because, when I was a child, I could see ships being launched from Gray's Shipyard from my back bedroom window. I grew up with ships and was down there all the time. My dad was in the merchant navy and ended up as chief engineer on the Tees Pilot! There was, as I recall, the Central Dock, Jackson Dock, Swainson Dock, Coal Dock, Union Dock, Victoria Dock, North Basin and the Deep Water Berth. Back in those days you could walk from the bottom of Church Street, under one of the tunnels that went beneath the railway track, and get all the way to old Hartlepool crossing lock gates, over two swing bridges and see all ships that would be berthed. In fact, there's a lovely aerial photograph of the docks - long before the marina was built - on my own website History page. You can clearly see the swing bridge location in Middleton Road and even HMS Warrior at berth undergoing restoration. Happy days!
Stan Laundon