INSIDE THE ABANDONED PALLION SHIPYARD

This shipyard started out as William Doxford and sons in 1870. It was managed by William Doxfords four sons after he died in 1882. It was acquired by Northumberland shipbuilding company in 1918. It was renamed Doxford and Sunderland shipbuilding and engineering Co Ltd in 1961 and then Doxford and Sunderland Ltd in 1966. Court Line took over in 1972 and renamed it Sunderland shipbuilders Ltd, in 1973 a new all weather Pallion yard was built, which was so big, you could build two ships of 30,000 tons side by side. Court Line then collapsed in 1974 and was nationalised. It was privatised in 1986 and merged with Austin and Pickersgill to form North East shipbuilders. The last ships built here at Pallion were 15 Danish ferries, and then it closed as a ship building yard. The original gatehouse gates have been restored and rebuilt in the exact spot when the workers used to go through to work. Significant ships that were built here are the British Marquis in 1946. ION Doxfords in 1970. and the first ship built in the new covered hall was the Cedarbank in 1976. Prince Charles (now king) visited in 1979.
Plans are now underway to build a major TV and film studio here, which will create thousands of jobs for the area.