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Marina & Basin
Harbouring the fleet.
Harbouring the fleet.
At the heart of Royal William Yard lies the sweeping granite-lined basin – now the Marina – a vital innovation that set the Yard apart from older naval supply depots. When Sir John Rennie designed the Yard in the 1820s, he placed the entire complex seawards, facing open water, for one key reason: to solve the frustrating tidal limitations faced at the old Lambhay Yard, where ships could only dock at certain times.
Smart design for seamless supply
Here, the basin was engineered to provide all-tide access, letting six or more large transport or merchant vessels dock at once, regardless of tide. This was essential for the rapid loading and unloading of goods, ensuring vital stores – whether grain beef, rum, or weapons – could be transferred no matter the hour or weather. The deep-water basin allowed the largest supply ships of the era to berth side by side, maximising efficiency during intense periods of provisioning.
A swivel bridge, built by the renowned Horseley Iron Company, was later added across the basin entrance – an afterthought in the Yard’s planning, but crucial for connecting work, transport, and foot traffic around the site as the demands of the Navy grew.
The modern marina
Today, the basin is home to a thriving marina, welcoming private yachts and small vessels into the historic heart of Royal William Yard. The same engineering that once revolutionised Royal Navy supply now offers shelter and safe mooring for sailors and visitors from around the world, preserving the Yard’s working waterfront traditions into the 21st century.
The Diving Bell at Royal William Yard
During the construction of Royal William Yard in the late 1820s, a diving bell played a notable – and unusual – role in the Yard’s history.
Underwater engineering
- Laying the foundation: In 1827, a critical moment in the Yard’s building works involved the Duke of Clarence (who would soon become King William IV) laying the coping stone of the main sea wall. Remarkably, this was done 11 feet underwater using a cast-iron diving bell, which was only 6 feet by 4 feet in size. This apparatus allowed workers to descend beneath the waves and secure parts of the structure that were below the low tide mark.
- An engineering feat: The use of a diving bell was innovative for the time in British maritime construction. The bell trapped air, enabling masons and engineers to work dry and safely beneath the water. This was essential for setting the lowest stones of the Yard’s quay wall, offering both greater precision and safety versus earlier, more hazardous open-diver methods.
A symbol of the Yard’s ambition
- Deploying a diving bell at Royal William Yard illustrates the technical ambition and advanced engineering of the project. Not only did it allow for construction on previously inaccessible underwater foundations, but it also demonstrated the willingness to embrace the latest technologies for Royal Navy infrastructure.
- Historic moment: The ceremony involving the Duke of Clarence and the diving bell became part of the Yard’s founding story – marking both royal patronage and modern engineering methods tied to the site’s legacy.
Head back to 1948 to hear Sidney Kneebone as he started work on his 16th birthday and set sail from this marina
September brings new voices to the yard — more recordings coming soon.
Did you know?
Diving bells of this sort were an evolution in underwater construction technology in the early 19th century, preceding the use of diving helmets and suits by several decades. Their use at Royal William Yard was a mark of cutting-edge practice for the period.
The coping stone laid by this method is still part of the sea wall, underpinning the deep-water access and robust defences the Yard depended on for more than a century.
