Whereas 50 years ago, shipbuilding, ship repair and marine engineering firms dominated the edge of the River Tyne, now little remains. Most of the yards were demolished as soon as they closed - although the shipbuilding heritage is still visible on the Tyne's bridges.
Largs Bay was built by the Swan Hunter yard in Wallsend and launched for sea trials in November 2006, sailing into history as the last full vessel built on the Tyne.
Sadly the last shipyard closed in 1988, symptomatic of the decline in British shipbuilding in the face of international competition and the need for ever larger ships.
Built at the Swan Hunter Yard in Wallsend, Mauretania is arguably the most famous ship ever built on the Tyne admired both for her luxury and her speed.
Shipbuilding ceased in Belfast in 2003, with the last vessel, MV Anvil Point, marking the end of an era. Yet, the company never lost its spirit of innovation, pivoting towards ship repair and offshore construction. A new chapter began in January 2025, when Harland & Wolff was acquired by Navantia UK.
WE STILL BUILD SHIPS - A Short History of Shipbuilding on the Upper Clyde
What are Harland and Wolff docks used for today?
The dry dock is still in service today but mainly for maintenance rather than ship building. "Samson and Goliath stride across the Belfast skyline… like twin colossi. It's impossible to think of the city without them.”
Spain's state-owned shipbuilder, Navantia, has completed the takeover of Harland and Wolff. The deal covers the four Harland and Wolff yards in Belfast, Appledore, Methil and Arnish which employ around 1,000 people.
The ferry used for the exterior shots was the King Seaways operated by DFDS between Newcastle and Amsterdam but with different livery added in post production.
The Company was privatised again in 1987 but decided to close its Neptune Yard in 1988. It was then forced to call in the receivers when the UK government awarded the contract for HMS Ocean to Kvaerner Govan in 1993. The receiver took steps to break up the business.
HMS Queen Elizabeth is one of the largest and most powerful vessels ever constructed for the Royal Navy. This awe-inspiring warship is capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft. As well as state-of-the-art weaponry and communications systems, HMS Queen Elizabeth boasts five gyms, a chapel and a medical centre.
Scotland is the beating heart of military shipbuilding, with eight Type 26 ships being built by BAE Systems in Glasgow and five Type 31 frigates by Babcock International in Rosyth.
The Sunderland was one of the Royal Air Force's great wartime flying boats. A Sunderland flew at Windermere in 1990 but, sadly, none remain airworthy now. Arguably, an even greater flying boat was the American Consolidated Catalina, several hundred of which served around the world with the wartime Royal Air Force.
Sunderland was once known as 'the largest shipbuilding town in the world' and once made a quarter of all of the world's ships from its yards. Following the decline of its traditional industries in the late 20th century, the area became an automotive building centre.
Her nickname was “The Ocean Greyhound” because of her great speed. Turbinia was easily the fastest ship in the world when she was built over 120 years ago. She was designed by Charles Parsons and built in his shipyard in Wallsend. Mauretania was the world's largest ship when she was launched from Wallsend in 1906.
The stone bridge was constructed but then damaged by flood in 1339. Repairs proved costly and took place in sections: it was not fully repaired, as a part stone and part wooden bridge, until the 16th century and was part destroyed by a great flood in November 1771.
The Galeon Andalucía is over 160ft long and is a beautiful replica of the ships used by Spanish explorers in the 17th to 19th centuries. Board the galleon and wander along its six decks, learning about the ship and Spanish naval history as you go.
As the movie opens, the ship is the British destroyer HMS Wakeful (hull number F-159), but after the doctor and journalist are delivered, the vessel (as a model) becomes the US Navy's DLG-113, a fictional vessel apparently intended to represent a Farragut-class destroyer. Interiors are obviously a Royal Navy ship.
Shipbuilder Harland and Wolff did not claim she was unsinkable, but a promotional item from the White Star Line stressed the safety of Olympic and Titanic, claiming that "as far as it is possible to do so, these two wonderful vessels are designed to be unsinkable".
No buyer emerged and on 5 August 2019 the company announced that they would cease trading and entered formal administration. Subsequently, on 1 October 2019, it was announced that the shipyard had been bought for £6 million by the London-based energy firm, InfraStrata.
Does the company that made the Titanic still exist?
A section of the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in February 2023. Harland & Wolff, the 163-year-old firm that built the Titanic, has declared itself insolvent after failing to secure funding to continue trading.
The famous Harland & Wolff cranes dominate the Belfast skyline. Inaccessible to the public, the hotel offers the best views in Belfast of the twin giants - you can still watch them move!
