THE MARINA TRAIL TAKES US AROUND THE PRESENT DAY MARINA AND LOOKS BACK TO THIS AREA IN FORMER TIMES WHEN IT EVOLVED FROM THE ORIGINAL DOCK SYSTEM CREATED BETWEEN 1847 AND 1880.

In this extensive circular walk around the present day marina, you will pause at various points of interest and compare the present scene to that of 100 or so years ago.

The trail begins by leaving the Hartlepool Museum, passing the Wingfield Castle, a former British Rail passenger ferry ship which operated across the river Humber in it’s heyday and was built here in Hartlepool. At the other side of the this ship is the former Jackson Dock, opened in 1852 and named after the founding father of West Hartlepool, Ralph Ward Jackson.

Moving along the quayside, towards the new housing. We pass the site of of the old North Eastern Match Co., which burned down in August 1953 and discuss the Swainson Dock, the third dock to be excavated which opened in 1856, named after Ralph Ward Jackson’s father in law. To the left of the former Swainson dock, the Timber Dock, which, having been fully reclaimed, is the site of the main road through the marina today. From this point we explore the history of Sir William Gray, the great local shipbuilder whose ships won the Blue Riband for maximum output of annual tonnage an amazing 6 times. William Gray died in 1898, but the shipyards remained open until 1962, when voluntary liquidation forced their closure.

After a short walk in a seaward direction we view two old buildings, which, recently refurbished are two of the oldest in the town. The first one with the clock tower was originally the Dock Office, which today stands directly across the road from where the first railway station stood. The building next door was originally the Ship Hotel, which later became the Customs House, and next to that was Victoria Terrace, one of the first streets in West Hartlepool.

The trail takes you past the former Coal Dock which the first dock to be excavated and opened in 1847. The limestone which was consequently dug out by hundreds of navvies was sufficient in quantity to build Christ Church, which is now the Hartlepool Art Gallery, Christ Church vicarage, and the Athenaeum. The altar rails for Christ Church were fashioned from bog oak from an ancient forest also unearthed in the excavations. You pass the place where HMS Warrior was so lovingly restored between her arrival in 1979 and her sad departure in 1987.

We walk past the former berth of a famous yacht called the ‘Aviso Grille’ which was owned by Adolf Hitler, and had been brought to West Hartlepool after the war before being finally scuttled off New Jersey where it had been used as a maritime casino. The 'Aviso Grille' was 3430 gross tonnage, had a crew of 248 and was capable of 28 knots.

After crossing the lock gates we discuss the area once known locally as Hedley’s Island, the area was referred to as an island simply because it stood between two sets of lock gates and named after a local craftsman called Frank Hedley who built and repaired small but substantial marine vessels on this area.

Passing the Union Dock which was was built in 1880 and was the fifth dock in the area, the Middleton swing bridge we discuss the Central Dock and the North Basin, where ships had their engines fitted and their furnishings completed before their maiden voyages. These last two docks were opened in 1880 and completed the seven which were in use until recent years. Between these last two docks was William Gray’s Central Shipyard and marine engine works, the last fortress of shipbuilding which closed in 1962.

We pay a visit to Jackson’s Landing and the Seaton High Light which dates from 1839 and has been reconstructed from it’s original site about one and a half miles south. Finally, after walking full circle end up on the site of the original graving dock which at the present time contains HMS Trincomalee bringing the tour to a close.