Harwich Sub-Section
01 Harwich Tread Wheel Crane on Quay (1895) Photo I H&D FW
Harwich Tread-wheel Crane
Now located on Harwich Green, Dated 1667, it's the only example of a double tread-wheel crane left in the UK.
Samuel Pepys expanded the naval dockyard at Harwich in 1667 under instruction from the Duke of York, as part of improvements to fit Harwich as a base for British ships in a sea war against the Dutch.
A wooden house, 26 ft 3 in by 14 ft 10 in, provides the crane frame, from which the 12 in by 10 in thick jib projects 17 ft 10 in. The crane was operated by two men walking inside a pair of 16 ft diameter tread-wheels, set 4 ft apart on a common axle, itself 14 in sq and made of wood.
The lifting chain wound around this axle to pass along the jib and over a wheel. There was no brake, and so a piece of wood had to be kept handy to jam the tread-wheels. The cost of the crane was £392 to build and it served the docks for 260 years, up through World War One.
The dockyard closed in 1928 and in 1932 the crane was moved to Harwich Green, where it stands within a protective fence.
Now located on Harwich Green, Dated 1667, it's the only example of a double tread-wheel crane left in the UK.
Samuel Pepys expanded the naval dockyard at Harwich in 1667 under instruction from the Duke of York, as part of improvements to fit Harwich as a base for British ships in a sea war against the Dutch.
A wooden house, 26 ft 3 in by 14 ft 10 in, provides the crane frame, from which the 12 in by 10 in thick jib projects 17 ft 10 in. The crane was operated by two men walking inside a pair of 16 ft diameter tread-wheels, set 4 ft apart on a common axle, itself 14 in sq and made of wood.
The lifting chain wound around this axle to pass along the jib and over a wheel. There was no brake, and so a piece of wood had to be kept handy to jam the tread-wheels. The cost of the crane was £392 to build and it served the docks for 260 years, up through World War One.
The dockyard closed in 1928 and in 1932 the crane was moved to Harwich Green, where it stands within a protective fence.
02 Harwich Tread Wheel Crane on Quay (1895) Photo II H&D FW
03 J&S 6991 Harwich (1916) Caldwell & Powell H&D FW
Prior to installation of the crane in 1932
04 35 Harwich Green, (1932) H&D FW
05 #5756 Old Shipyard Crane and Church. Harwich (1932) H&D FW
06 The Old Crane, Harwich (1935) Kingsway H&D FW
07 H6 Treadmill Crane from old Navel Yard, Harwich (1957) M&L FW
08 Tread-wheel Crane. Harwich (1980) Stella H&D FW
09 The Old Crane, Time of Queen Elizabeth, Harwich (1920) H&D F
10 6024 Elizabethan Treadmill Crane Harwich (1925) FW
Picture 011
An early photograph of the shipbuilders yard in Harwich taken around 1880
This early photograph of Harwich ship building, although not of great quality, is still an important record of the local history. Large ships, such as this have been have been built and repaired at Harwich, for many centuries and the main site was on Harwich Harbour, close to the Pier Hotel. Alongside the ship builders yard and huts, also stood the Elizabethan tread wheel crane. The other cards and prints illustrate the position and history of the ship builders yard and dry harbour.
This early photograph of Harwich ship building, although not of great quality, is still an important record of the local history. Large ships, such as this have been have been built and repaired at Harwich, for many centuries and the main site was on Harwich Harbour, close to the Pier Hotel. Alongside the ship builders yard and huts, also stood the Elizabethan tread wheel crane. The other cards and prints illustrate the position and history of the ship builders yard and dry harbour.