Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Bigger Ships and Bigger Docks
Most ships received an annual service in a dry dock. Ships were bring made bigger and bigger from the mid-1860s onwards and in 1871, only four years after Hamilton Dock was finished, there were calls from Belfast's ship-builders for a larger graving dock.
Alexandra Graving Dock opened in 1889, and Thompson Dry Dock, where 'Titanic' was fitted out, was finished in 1911. By this time Belfast had the largest shipyard in the world.
[Illustration captions, from top to bottom, read]
Above Celebrations at the opening of Alexandra Dock in 1889
Below Europa in Hamilton Dock
· Left: Overlaid cross sections of No.2 Graving Dock, Hamilton Dock, Alexandra Dock and SS Olympic docked in Thompson Dock. The steady increase in the size of the dry docks reflected the requirements of Belfast's shipyards which were building ships bigger than ever before.
· Thompson Dock was the largest graving dock in the world when this photograph was taken in 1911
By 1911, Belfast had the largest shipyard in the world.
[Back]
[Photo caption reads]
Background Olympic in Thompson Dock, 1911
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1871.
Location. 54° 36.393′ N, 5° 54.68′ W. Marker is in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Marker is on Queens Road, on the left when traveling north. Part of the Titanic Belfast complex. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Hamilton Dock, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT3 9DT, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Dockside: A Hive of Activity (here, next to this marker); Hamilton Dock: Refurbishment and Restoration (here, next to this marker); Keel Blocks (here, next to this marker); On Board SS Nomadic (a few steps from this marker); Features of the Dock (a few steps from this marker); Operating the [Hamilton] Dock (a few steps from this marker); Nomadic in Hamilton Dock (a few steps from this marker); 1908 Harland and Wolff Shipyard (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Belfast.
Also see . . .
1. The Hamilton Graving Dock. (Submitted on June 17, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Shipbuilding in Belfast. (Submitted on June 17, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 17, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 117 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 17, 2019, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.