Our History
Although it was most likely earlier, 1346 is the date it was Stated that the area that is now Sunderland first started making and building ships...
From wood and sail to steel and steam and oil, riviting , welding and the innovative turret ship, Sunderland has been at the forefront.
Over the years Sunderland dominated World shipbuilding in building many types of ship. The liberty ship was based on a Wesrside ship design in which was built in a matter of weeks on the Wear as well as in US yards during WW2 and helped change the course of WW2.
In the second half of the 20th century, Sunderland shipbuilding embarked on modernisation in the late 60's and 70's, created some very different type of shipbuilding facilities. The rebuilt facilities were at JL Thompson at North Sands, Laing's at Deptford, then a very different type of facility at Southwick by Austin and Pickersgill. The ultimate shipyard change came about at Pallion. Arendal in Sweden had come about around the same time as New Pallion's older smaller sister facility at Appledore. Arendal had the concept of building vessels undercover and appear in a mostly open dry dock. New Pallion had The ultimate concept (like Appledore) of factory production all undercover including the final assembly in the dry dock all being under cover. At the time too and for some time before others caught on, New Pallion was the world's biggest undercover shipfactory.
The New Pallion ship factory was envisioned to build ships as efficiently as possible under a controlled all under cover enviroment. Those were mostly of the commercial freight carrying sector in which a facility needed to be layed out and planned very efficiently to compete in a very competitive ship type sector. Pallion also showed itself capable in building ferries and complex ships which are still in service.
From wood and sail to steel and steam and oil, riviting , welding and the innovative turret ship, Sunderland has been at the forefront.
Over the years Sunderland dominated World shipbuilding in building many types of ship. The liberty ship was based on a Wesrside ship design in which was built in a matter of weeks on the Wear as well as in US yards during WW2 and helped change the course of WW2.
In the second half of the 20th century, Sunderland shipbuilding embarked on modernisation in the late 60's and 70's, created some very different type of shipbuilding facilities. The rebuilt facilities were at JL Thompson at North Sands, Laing's at Deptford, then a very different type of facility at Southwick by Austin and Pickersgill. The ultimate shipyard change came about at Pallion. Arendal in Sweden had come about around the same time as New Pallion's older smaller sister facility at Appledore. Arendal had the concept of building vessels undercover and appear in a mostly open dry dock. New Pallion had The ultimate concept (like Appledore) of factory production all undercover including the final assembly in the dry dock all being under cover. At the time too and for some time before others caught on, New Pallion was the world's biggest undercover shipfactory.
The New Pallion ship factory was envisioned to build ships as efficiently as possible under a controlled all under cover enviroment. Those were mostly of the commercial freight carrying sector in which a facility needed to be layed out and planned very efficiently to compete in a very competitive ship type sector. Pallion also showed itself capable in building ferries and complex ships which are still in service.
