W.J. Yarwood & Sons facts for kids

A converted working narrowboat, Clypeus, opens up leaving Penton Hook Lock heading upstream past the weir. Clypeus is number 28 in the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company fleet, being one of 12 iron composite pairs of Star Class boats built by Yarwoods of Northwich in 1935.

W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd was a company that built ships. It was located in Northwich, Cheshire, in England. The company operated for many years, from 1896 until 1966. They built many different types of boats and ships during this time.

History of the Shipyard

Starting the Business

The company was started by a man named William James Yarwood. He was born in 1851. When he was younger, he learned how to work with iron at a local factory in Northwich. This is called an apprenticeship. He then worked as a blacksmith for the River Weaver Navigation, which managed the local river.

In 1896, William Yarwood took over a shipbuilding business. It was owned by John Thompson. William renamed it W.J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd. The shipyard was located right next to the River Weaver.

Building Many Vessels

The company quickly became very busy. In just three years, they built 15 boats. These boats went to places like the Manchester Ship Canal Company. They also built ships for the Douglas Corporation on the Isle of Man. Another important client was Brunner Mond, a chemical company.

Over the years, Yarwood & Sons built ships for many important organizations. This included the British Admiralty, which is like the navy department. They also built boats for the Air Ministry, which was in charge of the air force. Other clients included the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company and the Port of London. They even built boats for canal companies like the Grand Union Canal Carrying Company.

Family Business and War Efforts

When William James Yarwood passed away, his four sons took over the business. The company grew a lot. They started making almost every part of a ship themselves. This included steam engines, propellers, and even anchors.

During World War II, the shipyard was very important. They built over 100 vessels for the British military. This included ships for both the British Admiralty and the Air Ministry. A famous person, T. E. Lawrence (also known as Lawrence of Arabia), even worked there briefly in 1934. He was there to check on a ship called H.M.S. Auxiliary "Aquarius".

Later Years and Closure

From 1903 to 1948, Yarwood & Sons had big contracts with Brunner Mond. This company later became Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). They built many coastal vessels for them.

In 1947, the shipyard was sold to Athel Line Ltd. This company was part of United Molasses. Between 1955 and 1965, Yarwood's built 32 tugboats. These tugs were powered by both steam and diesel engines.

The very last vessel built at Yarwood's was a diesel tugboat named St Elmo. It was built in 1965. When the shipyard closed in 1966, they had built over 1,000 vessels in total!

Today, many of the ships built by Yarwood's are still in use. However, much of the original shipyard area is now part of the growing town of Northwich. A part of the old dock, called the side slip dock, is still there. It is used by boats that visit or are permanently docked.