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  1. Industrial Archaeology
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Royal William Victualling Yard - Plymouth

The Royal William Victualling Yard, situated beside the River Tamar in the Plymouth suburb of Stonehouse, close to the Royal Naval Dockyard at Devonport was constructed by the contractor Hugh McIntosh at a cost of about £2 million between 1816 and 1835 to the design of the noted civil engineer Sir John Rennie working in collaboration with Phillip Richards. The yard, taking its name from King William IV, operated, until closed by the Royal Navy, in 1992.

The 16 acre site of Grade I listed buildings, constructed of Plymouth Limestone and Dartmoor Granite, passed into private ownership and has been sensitively restored by developers Urban Splash during the first decade of the twenty first century. There is a similarity with the Albert Dock complex in Liverpool, though it could be argued that the restoration and conversion work at Royal William has been done with greater sensitivity.
The site is predominantly residential with some retail and office space. Retailing is on a less obtrusive scale to that at the Albert Dock in Liverpool, though there are a number of food and drink outlets.

Prior to restoration and opening to the public the Royal William Yard appeared as a naval dockyard setting in one of the episodes of the ITV period naval drama "Hornblower" - "The Frogs and Lobsters" filmed in 1999.
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  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 25, 2015

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 25, 2015

    Royal William Yard viewed from Cremyll in unusual autumnal afternoon lighting.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 25, 2015

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 25, 2015

    Royal William Yard viewed from Cremyll in unusual autumnal afternoon lighting.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    The entrance gate complex, in Greco-Roman style surmounted by a statue of King William IV carved from Portland stone, has some notable architectural detail including bullock heads, signifying the presence of the Navy slaughter house and some find three dimensional cross fouled anchor carvings. Outside the entrance stands the "Ships' Biscuit" the recipe commemorated in stone. Passing through the gateway on the left one has the police guard house, now used as the site administrative offices and on the right the Slaughterhouse which carries a bell. Up to 100 bullocks per day were slaughtered here and the meat salted into wooden barrels. The building was in use for this purpose for 26 years from 1859. Most recently, the Slaughterhouse has been used as a centre for building repair and maintenance.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    The entrance gate complex, in Greco-Roman style surmounted by a statue of King William IV carved from Portland stone, has some notable architectural detail including bullock heads, signifying the presence of the Navy slaughter house and some find three dimensional cross fouled anchor carvings. Outside the entrance stands the "Ships' Biscuit" the recipe commemorated in stone. Passing through the gateway on the left one has the police guard house, now used as the site administrative offices and on the right the Slaughterhouse which carries a bell. Up to 100 bullocks per day were slaughtered here and the meat salted into wooden barrels. The building was in use for this purpose for 26 years from 1859. Most recently, the Slaughterhouse has been used as a centre for building repair and maintenance.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Looking through the yard to the main gate. The Melville Square clock tower is on the right beyond the Cooperage building.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    The Eric Wallis memorial steps were erected in 2013 and named in honour of Eric Wallis who was Secretary of the South West Coastal Path Association. It provides a link from Devil's Point into the Royal William Yard and enables walkers to follow the South West Coastal Path without interruption.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    View of the Royal William Yard waterfront from the top of the Eric Wallis Steps which provide a link into the yard from the South West Coastal Path.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    The Eric Wallis memorial steps were erected in 2013 and named in honour of Eric Wallis who was Secretary of the South West Coastal Path Association. It provides a link from Devil's Point into the Royal William Yard and enables walkers to follow the South West Coastal Path without interruption.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    View of the Royal William Yard from the top of the Eric Wallis Steps which provide a link into the yard from the South West Coastal Path.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Old pully blocks mounted on the wall near the Eric Wallis Steps.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    View of the Royal William Yard waterfront from the the Eric Wallis Steps which provide a link into the yard from the South West Coastal Path. Clarence Building nearest the camera.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    The Eric Wallis memorial steps were erected in 2013 and named in honour of Eric Wallis who was Secretary of the South West Coastal Path Association. It provides a link from Devil's Point into the Royal William Yard and enables walkers to follow the South West Coastal Path without interruption.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Behind the Clarence Building is the Factory Cooperage.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Situated at the south western end of the site overlooking the River Tamar are the grand "Formal Landing Steps" also known as the "Clarence Steps" where senior naval officers would come ashore to enter the Royal William Yard.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Situated at the south western end of the site overlooking the River Tamar are the grand "Formal Landing Steps" also known as the "Clarence Steps" where senior naval officers would come ashore to enter the Royal William Yard.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Mooring bollard detail near Clarence Steps

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    View along the waterfront in front of the Clarence Building looking across the Hamoaze - the estuary of the River Tamar towards Mount Edgcumbe. A Serco Marine Services tug can be seen heading out to sea.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Various dockside cranes are preserved around the Royal William Yard site.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    The basin in front of the Melville Square building was used by lighters serving Royal Navy vessels lying at anchor or alongside at the nearby Devonport Dockyard. It is now a marina whilst a seasonal passenger ferry service operates to Plymouth Barbican. On the east side of the basin is the Mills Bakery with its prominent chimney. On the west side the Brewhouse. However, despite its name the Brewhouse was not used as such following the elimination of beer rations. In 1885 it became a workshop and rum store, before becoming a torpedo workshop.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Various dockside cranes are preserved around the Royal William Yard site.

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    The massive Melville Square building, with its clock tower, dominates the yard basin. Named after the second Lord Melville, first Lord of the Admiralty from 1812 to 1827 this building was the administrative centre for the Royal William Yard as well as a store for food clothing and equipment

  • Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth - October 24, 2013

    Ferry departure point in the basin shown details of sailings to the Barbican and Mount Batten "on request".

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