67-675: Walney Island , also known as the Isle of Walney , is an island off the west coast of England, at the western end of Morecambe Bay in the Irish Sea . Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire , it is part of Barrow-in-Furness , separated from the mainland by Walney Channel, which is spanned by the Jubilee Bridge . Walney is the largest island of the Furness Islands group, both in population and size, as well as
134-615: A Vickers School of Flying was opened at Brooklands , Surrey on 20 January 1912. In 1919, the British Westinghouse electrical company was taken over as the Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company ; Metrovick. At the same time they came into Metropolitan's railway interests. A reorganisation during 1926 led to the retention of the rolling stock group: Metropolitan Carriage Wagon and Finance Company and The Metropolitan -Vickers Company and
201-482: A decline in lucrative tool steel demand in the US during the first half of 1880s, the stockholders logically decided in spring 1887 to diversify into large-scale armaments production and approved £1.5 million (1887, equivalent to £172.83 million in 2023) capital increase. By the end of 1888 Vickers produced and tested both their first artillery piece and first armour plate . The time could have never been more fortunate, with
268-467: A drama film and a non-fiction documentary. The incident has had a lasting effect on the community and estuary harvesting regulations. Morecambe Bay is also home to several of the UK's offshore wind farms: West of Duddon Sands , Burbo Bank , Walney , Barrow , and Ormonde . Around 320,000 people live along the coastline of Morecambe Bay, with the largest town being Barrow-in-Furness to the west. Morecambe
335-501: A natural shelter, which allowed the development of Barrow's large shipbuilding yards. In the 1870s, Biggar Bank became a popular seaside recreation site on Walney, and this was reinforced when a regular ferry, operated by the Furness Railway Company, was launched. In 1897, in response to the high levels of immigration to Barrow from across the UK, Vickers proposed to build a new planned town on Walney Island. At
402-660: A new site in Sheffield on the River Don in Brightside . The company went public in 1867 as Vickers, Sons & Company and gradually acquired more businesses, branching out into various sectors. In 1868 Vickers began to manufacture marine shafts, in 1872 they began casting marine propellers and in 1882 they set up a forging press. They were also supplying steel forgings for gun barrel manufacturers, including their future main competitor Armstrong, as early as 1870. After
469-519: A number of small islands , of which Barrow Island , Roa and Piel are inhabited. North of Earnsie Point are secluded beaches, backed by dunes, which tend to be used by naturists. Jubilee Bridge , a bascule bridge , has connected Walney to the mainland since 1908. The bridge forms part of the A590 , which runs between Walney's western coast and the M6 Motorway . A second bridge over Walney Channel
536-555: A result of tax increases in the 2011 Budget which meant South Morecambe would be paying a rate of 81% tax; North Morecambe and Rivers would continue in production as they are taxed at 62%. Production resumed from the South Morecambe field in July 2011. In 2004, a proposal was made to build a bridge across the bay flanked by wind turbines and using tidal power . Proposals from Northern Tidal Power Gateways in 2019 outlined
603-485: A tidal barrage with a road running along on top. Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells . The company went public in 1867, acquired more businesses, and began branching out into military hardware and shipbuilding. In 1911,
670-494: Is also a protected area , forming the Morecambe Bay Pavements , home to rare butterflies such as the high brown fritillary . The bay has rich cockle beds, which have been fished by locals for generations. There are seven main islands in the bay, all to the west; Walney , Barrow , Sheep , Piel , Chapel , Foulney and Roa . Walney is substantially larger than the others, with its southern tip marking
737-488: Is currently Michelle Scrogham who won the seat at the 2024 General Election. At the 2001 UK census , Walney North had an unemployment rate of 7.7%, whilst it was 6.3% in Walney South Walney was historically agricultural, and a number of farms remain on the island, particularly on its southern half. Following the construction of Vickerstown , the defence manufacturer Vickers became the major employer on
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#1732779592477804-559: Is effectively a continuation of Barrow-in-Furness, lying on the Barrow-facing east coast at the island's centre, clustered around the Jubilee Bridge. The first parts of Vickerstown were constructed in the 1890s as a workers' community for Vickers Shipyard, but this area has since been expanded by suburban development. The only residential areas on the west coast are at Earnse Bay and Biggar Bank, both of which are extensions to
871-493: Is home to a wide number of birds, many of which use the island as a stop whilst migrating. Breeding bird species at South Walney include common eider , common ringed plover , Eurasian oystercatcher , lesser black-backed gull and herring gull . South Walney is also the home of the Walney Bird Observatory. North Walney provides a habitat for natterjack toads , as well as Geranium sanguineum var. striatum,
938-730: Is located in the position of Walney, though significantly larger. Its east coast resembles that of Walney, and the main town to the east of the island is 'Vicarstown', located at the same place as Vickerstown . In music, Walney appears in the song " Wa'ney Island Cockfight ", which describes a cockfight between the lads of North Scale and Biggar on the island. The song has been recorded by Fiddler's Dram and Martin Wyndham-Reed . Public houses located on Walney are The Castle (Biggar Bank), The Queens Arms (Biggar village), The King Alfred (Ocean Rd), The Ferry (Promenade) and The Crown (North Scale). Former public houses closed or demolished are
1005-610: Is popular for this sport. Windsurfing takes place around the island, particularly to its west coast and around the mouth of Walney Channel. In literature, Walney most notably appears, or rather disappears, in The Railway Series books by the Rev. W. Awdry , which was adapted into the television series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends . The books and television series are all set on the fictional Island of Sodor , which
1072-508: Is sometimes mooted, in order to improve access and relieve traffic, though there has never been any significant attempt to provide one. The nearest railway station to Walney is Barrow-in-Furness . No long distance bus services are provided, and all services from the island are provided by Stagecoach and terminate in Barrow. Walney Island has a small airport ( Barrow/Walney Island Airport ), privately owned by BAE Systems . It opened in 1935 and
1139-712: The West Lancashire Football League (WFL) Premier Division (level 11 of the English football league system ), while Walney Island Football Club, formed as Nautical FC in 1970, compete in the WFL Division Two. Walney has become an important location for kitesurfing and wind-surfing . It annually hosts one of the rounds of the British Kitesurfing Championship. In particular the flat, wide beach at Earnse Bay
1206-653: The Bristol , English Electric and Hunting Aircraft to form the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). This was owned by Vickers, English Electric and Bristol (holding 40%, 40% and 20% respectively). BAC in turn owned 70% of Hunting. The Supermarine operation was closed in 1963 and the Vickers name for aircraft was dropped in 1965. Under the terms of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act BAC
1273-633: The Great Britain mainland is also narrow, and named Walney Channel. The northern portion of the channel opens into the Duddon Estuary and is both narrower and shallower; at low tide, it is passable on foot, with stepping stones known locally as 'Widow's Crossing' assisting pedestrians. The southern half of the channel is wider and is regularly dredged to allow shipping to access the Port of Barrow . This half opens into Morecambe Bay and includes
1340-727: The Naval Defence Act 1889 significantly increasing the domestic demand and the invention of nickel steel armour rendering obsolete and worthless the investments of established producers into compound armour . Vickers bought out the Barrow-in-Furness shipbuilder The Barrow Shipbuilding Company in 1897, acquiring its subsidiary the Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company at the same time, to become Vickers, Sons & Maxim. Ordnance and ammunition made during this period, including World War I ,
1407-582: The Rampside Gas Terminal . The South Morecambe Central Processing Complex is connected via a 36-inch pipeline to the South Morecambe terminal. North Morecambe gas has a different composition so the unmanned Drilling and Production Platform is linked by a separate 36" wet sealine to the North Morecambe Terminal, where it is stripped of water, CO 2 and nitrogen. The Rivers Terminal has a dedicated pipeline for sour gas from
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#17327795924771474-605: The Solway . The sixteenth-century scholar William Camden identified the locality as being near Silloth , hence the similar name of that bay but the eighteenth century antiquarian John Horsley who translated Ptolemy into English in 1732 favoured it being the bay on the then Lancashire — Cumberland border. In 1771 historian John Whitaker took up this latter suggestion and the name appeared on maps subsequently. The first recorded to do so being one associated with Father Thomas West 's Antiquities of Furness of 1774. Camden believed
1541-433: The "Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd". In 1938, both companies were re-organised as Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd, although the former Supermarine and Vickers works continued to brand their products under their former names. 1929 saw the merger of the acquired railway business with those of Cammell Laird to form Metropolitan Cammell Carriage & Wagon . In 1960, the aircraft interests were merged with those of
1608-470: The Aviation Department changed its name to Vickers (Aviation) Ltd and shortly afterwards acquired Supermarine, which became 'Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd'. In 1938, the two companies were reorganised as Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd, although the former Supermarine and Vickers works continued to brand their products under their former names. In 1929, the acquired railway business
1675-468: The Bay, with their various estuaries making a number of peninsulas within the bay. Much of the land around the bay is reclaimed, forming salt marshes used in agriculture . The bay is known for its wildlife populations, being a Special Area of Conservation , Special Protection Area and a Site of Special Scientific Interest , and there is a bird observatory at Walney Island . Some of the surrounding land
1742-539: The Calder field, which must be stripped of hydrogen sulphide before processing by the North Morecambe Terminal. The hydrogen sulphide is converted to sulphuric acid which is sold for industrial use. In 1991 a 229 MW CCGT power plant was opened near the terminals, on the site of the former coal-fired Roosecote Power Station . There is a support base at Heysham Port and personnel are typically moved by helicopter from Blackpool International Airport . Five rig workers and
1809-414: The UK was discovered 25 mi (40 km) west of Blackpool, with original reserves of over 7 trillion cubic feet (tcf) (200 billion cubic metres). At its peak, 15% of Britain's gas supply came from the bay but production is now in decline. Morecambe Bay is also an important wildlife site, with abundant birdlife and varied marine habitats. The rivers Leven , Kent , Keer , Lune and Wyre drain into
1876-538: The Walney geranium , found only on the island. The island's west coast is characterised by wide sandy beaches, whilst its east coast is more built up, facing the narrow and muddy Walney Channel. Since 2005, the coast off Walney has become a centre for the construction of offshore wind farms . Since 2023 Walney has been part of Westmorland and Furness . It was previously part of the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness , within
1943-785: The Walney Tavern formally the Periscope, the George and the Vickerstown institute. Morecambe Bay Morecambe Bay is an estuary in north-west England, just to the south of the Lake District National Park . It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom , covering a total area of 120 sq mi (310 km ). In 1974, the second largest gas field in
2010-629: The achievements of BAC, the Hawker Siddeley Group were also experiencing success with the likes of the Hawker Harrier 'Jump Jet' and Hawker Siddeley Trident passenger aircraft. The two companies competed side by side for contracts throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, until the British Government expressed a desire for the two entities to merge. Finally, on 29 April 1977, the two companies were finally nationalised and
2077-493: The acquisition of a proposed business which was incorporated as The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company and in 1905 the goodwill and patent rights of the Siddeley car. In 1911 a controlling interest was acquired in torpedo manufacturer Whitehead & Company . In 1911 the company name was changed to Vickers Ltd and expanded its operations into aircraft manufacture by the formation of Vickers Ltd (Aviation Department) and
Walney Island - Misplaced Pages Continue
2144-646: The bay added to the isolation of the land to its north which, due to the presence of the mountains of the Lake District, could only be reached by crossing these sands or by ferry, until the Furness Railway was built in 1857. This skirts the edge of the bay, crossing the various estuaries. The London - Glasgow railway also briefly runs alongside the bay – the only place where the West Coast Main Line actually runs alongside
2211-455: The central Vickerstown settlement. Beyond Vickerstown, the island retains two older villages. North Scale , lies near to and to the north of Vickerstown on Walney's east coast, and consists mainly of suburban homes. Biggar is the more isolated of the two villages, located around 2 mi (3 km) to the south of Vickerstown. Biggar is situated on the east coast of the island and is a more agricultural community, with farms extending south of
2278-407: The coast. The dangers presented by the bay were demonstrated in the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster when 23 undocumented immigrants from China were drowned by an incoming tide, after being cut off while harvesting cockles. Criminal prosecution of the gangmaster and his associates for manslaughter and aiding immigration offences resulted in terms of imprisonment. These events were covered in
2345-562: The company expanded into aircraft manufacture and opened a flying school. They expanded even further into electrical and railway manufacturing, and in 1928 acquired an interest in the Supermarine . Beginning in the 1960s, various parts of the company were nationalised, and in 1999 the rest of the company was acquired by Rolls-Royce plc , which sold the defence arm to Alvis plc . The Vickers name lived on in Alvis Vickers, until
2412-479: The company, based at Millsands and known as Naylor Vickers and Company. It began by making steel castings and quickly became famous for casting church bells . In 1854 Vickers' sons Thomas (a militia officer known familiarly as 'Colonel Tom') and Albert [ la ] joined the business and their considerable talents – Tom Vickers as a metallurgist and Albert as a team-builder and salesman – were key to its subsequent rapid development. "Its great architects,"
2479-475: The disposal of: Vickers-Petters Limited, British Lighting and Ignition Company, the Plywood department at Crayford Creek, Canadian Vickers, William Beardmore and Co, and Wolseley Motors. In 1927, Vickers merged with Tyneside based engineering company Armstrong Whitworth to become Vickers-Armstrongs . Armstrong Whitworth had developed along similar lines to Vickers, expanding into various military sectors and
2546-470: The early parts of World War I, and these or nearby installations may have been the targets of the German submarine U-21 , which approached Walney Island in shallow water in the early afternoon of Friday 29 January 1915. The artillery battery at Fort Walney , manned by 7 Company, Lancashire and Cheshire Royal Garrison Artillery , opened fire on the submarine at a range of around 7,000 yards (6,400 metres) after
2613-411: The first gas came ashore in 1985. The North Morecambe Field, found in 1976, 8 mi (13 km) to the north, is 11 sq mi (28 km ) and started production in 1994. Both are operated by Centrica Energy . They are 25 mi (40 km) west of Blackpool in 30 metres of water; the top of the gas reservoir is at a depth of just 900 m (3,000 ft), necessitating slant drilling for
2680-558: The first time in European waters. The combined gas reserves on discovery were estimated at 179 billion cubic metres (6.45 trillion cubic feet (tcf)). A further 0.65tcf is recognised in the satellite fields of Bains, Calder (Rivers), Dalton, Millom East and Millom West, and a number of smaller fields have been identified. The gas is landed at three terminals at Westfield Point in Barrow-in-Furness, collectively referred to as
2747-404: The historian Clive Trebilcock writes, "Colonel T.E. (1833–1915) and Albert (1838–1919) Vickers... provided both inspired technical leadership... and equally astute commercial direction. Both men were autocrats by temperament, but neither shunned advice or avoided delegation; each, but particularly Albert, had a marked gift for the selection of talented subordinates." In 1863 the company moved to
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2814-422: The island in 1898, resulting in a large population increase, and the construction of Jubilee Bridge connecting Walney to the mainland in 1908. Walney's contemporary population now forms about a fifth of the overall population of Barrow-in-Furness . The island contains two nature reserves, at either end, and its sandy beaches make it a popular leisure site. The name Walney is thought to come from Old Norse . Whilst
2881-463: The island's sand dunes , though its name is likely of Norse origin. The island remained rural until the growth of Barrow-in-Furness' industries in the nineteenth century. In particular, the development between 1867 and 1881 of docks at Barrow Island , in Walney Channel opposite Walney, encouraged the growth of Walney as a settlement. The planned worker town of Vickerstown was built on
2948-555: The island's beaches remain locally popular. Walney's population in the 2001 census was 11,388, representing 15% of the overall population of the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness and around 19% of the population of the town of Barrow-in-Furness . Walney lies off the southwest coast of Cumbria in the Irish Sea. It is 11 miles (18 kilometres) long from north to south, but never more than 1 mi (2 km) wide from east to west, with spits at either end. The channel separating it from
3015-449: The island, reflecting wider trends in Barrow-in-Furness . Vickers' successor, BAE Systems , remains a major employer in Barrow and on Walney today: the island has particularly high levels of workers in skilled trades. Walney has one secondary school , Walney School . It opened in 1952 and currently teaches 681 pupils. It has several primary schools but, students entering sixth form college or further education must go to schools on
3082-615: The larger county of Cumbria , for which Walney is again divided into two wards. In the May 2013 Cumbria County Council elections Walney North and Walney South wards both elected Labour Party councillors. At the 2011 elections at the Borough level , six Labour Party councillors were elected from the island, three from each ward. At a national level, Walney forms part of the Barrow and Furness parliamentary constituency . The Member of Parliament
3149-467: The largest English island in the Irish Sea . Its population at the 2011 UK Census was 10,651, distributed evenly across the island's two Wards of Walney North and Walney South . Walney Island formed during the last glacial period , when the River Duddon was a large glacial lake , depositing till at its mouth, which became Walney. Some evidence of neolithic inhabitants has been found in
3216-403: The latter was acquired by BAE Systems in 2004 to form BAE Systems Land Systems . Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor & Sanderson and Vickers' brother William owned a steel rolling operation. Edward's investments in the railway industry allowed him to gain control of
3283-760: The mainland in Barrow. Football and rugby league are the most popular amateur sports in the Furness area. Walney Central amateur rugby league club currently play in the Cumbria Men’s Amateur Rugby League . The club was formed in 1936, and have played on the island ever since. They reached the second round of the Challenge Cup in 1960, losing to Oldham and they competed in the National Conference League between 1991 and 2007. In football, Vickerstown Football Club play in
3350-587: The monks of Furness Abbey , who constructed Biggar Dyke as flood defences on the east coast of Walney. During this time, Walney was largely pastoral , and remained so into the early Industrial Revolution : in his 1810-book Guide to the Lakes , William Wordsworth describes seeing "Walney's early fields of corn" from the summit of Black Combe . However, Walney was soon caught up in the rapid expansion of industry at Barrow-in-Furness . Barrow docks were built on Barrow Island , in Walney Channel. The island acted as
3417-486: The name originated with two words meaning crooked sea whilst West offered up white/beautiful haven though current thought is that it refers to a curve of the sea . The bay has quicksand and fast moving tides . There have been royally appointed local guides (holding the post of King's Guide to the Sands ) for crossing the bay for centuries; appointment of guides is now delegated to a trust. This difficulty of crossing
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#17327795924773484-457: The north-western corner of the Bay. Sheep, Piel, Chapel and Foulney Islands are tidal and can be walked to at low tide with appropriate care. Local guidance should be sought if walking to Chapel or Piel islands as fast tides and quicksand can be extremely dangerous. Roa Island is linked to the mainland by a causeway, while Barrow Island has been connected to the mainland as part of the docks system at Barrow-in-Furness . The extensive sandflats are
3551-509: The remains of a vast sandur or outwash plain established by meltwaters as the last ice age waned. Sea-level was still some 3m below present day levels at the start of the Holocene some 11,000 years ago. The Greek geographer and astronomer Claudius Ptolemy (died c170 AD) referred in his writings to Morikambe eischusis as a location on Britain's west coast, lying between the Ribble and
3618-537: The sale of Rolls-Royce Motors and Cosworth to Volkswagen Group for £430 million, beating out BMW 's offer of £340 million. In 1927, Vickers merged with the Tyneside-based engineering firm Armstrong Whitworth to form Vickers-Armstrongs. Armstrong Whitworth developed in a similar way to Vickers, expanding into various military fields and became famous for its artillery construction at Elswick and shipbuilding at its yard at High Walker upon Tyne. In 1928,
3685-432: The same time, other developers imagined developing Biggar into a larger seaside resort. The first tenants moved into Vickerstown in 1900, and this saw the beginning of the integration of Walney as part of the town of Barrow. Walney Bridge , a Bascule bridge was built in this decade, opening in 1908 and connecting the island to the mainland. Vickers operated facilities constructing submarines and other shipping in Barrow in
3752-504: The source of the island's name. Excavations of sand dunes on Walney have revealed evidence of Late Neolithic / early Bronze Age settlements on the island, including a small amount of pottery. Low Furness was most extensively inhabited by Norse settlers, probably travelling from Ireland or the Isle of Man , which is reflected in many local place names, including Walney. Through the Middle Ages , Walney and Furness were dominated by
3819-498: The submarine fired its deck gun at the airship station on the island. After a few minutes' exchange of fire, with no hits on either side, the submarine withdrew. Walney continued to grow through the twentieth century, with a number of suburban housing developments on the island. The majority of growth occurred between the building of the 'Links' estate in 1936, and the completion of suburban housing at North Scale in 1976. The recreational facilities at Biggar Bank were scaled back, but
3886-503: The suffix "-ey" is a common feature of island names, the source of "waln" is less clear. The island is listed in the Domesday Book as Hougenai. The manor of "Hougun" – possibly modern day Millom – is listed in the book as owning the settlements of the whole of Furness , so that 'Hougenai' appears to mean "island of Hougun". The Old Norse word haugr means mound or hill. However, other Norse etymologies have also been suggested for
3953-419: The two pilots of a Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin were lost when it crashed in sight of the platform on 27 December 2006. At peak production 15% of UK supply came from the two main fields. As of 2006 Centrica reckoned there was about 1.2tcf of economic gas remaining in them, and they planned to operate the fields for another 10–15 years. In June 2011 they announced the South Morecambe field would be suspended as
4020-756: The village as far as the South Walney Nature Reserve . It is possibly the oldest settlement on Walney, with Furness Abbey records from 1292 mentioning a grange at Biggar, and today is still a farming village. Walney is low-lying, narrow and windswept – it is said by the North-West Evening Mail to be the windiest lowland site in England. The island's northern and southern ends, South Walney and North Walney , are both nature reserves, consisting of salt-marsh , shingle , sand dunes and brackish ponds. South Walney
4087-455: Was initially used for military purposes during World War II , before Barrow council purchased the airfield. It was purchased by Vickers in 1968 and has remained with the company's successors ever since. There have been a few attempts at scheduled passenger services – Air Ecosse , Air Furness and Telair have all operated flights from the island – but none has lasted longer than two years. The main settlement on Walney, Vickerstown ,
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#17327795924774154-652: Was merged with that of Cammell Laird to form Metropolitan Cammell Carriage & Wagon. 1.6 Fifth change of the company After the Second World War Vickers-Armstrongs manufactured commercial aircraft. In 1959 it introduced the VC10 jet aircraft and in the same year the government forced a merger with Bristol Aeroplane Company, English Electric and Hunting Aircraft to form the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Alongside
4221-400: Was nationalised in 1977 to become part of British Aerospace , which exists today in the guise of BAE Systems . The Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act also led to the nationalisation of Vickers' shipbuilding division as part of British Shipbuilders . These had been renamed Vickers Armstrong Shipbuilders in 1955, changing again to Vickers Limited Shipbuilding Group in 1968. This division
4288-489: Was notable for their artillery manufacture at Elswick and shipbuilding at a yard at High Walker on the River Tyne . Armstrongs shipbuilding interests became the "Naval Yard", those of Vickers on the west coast the "Naval Construction Yard". Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was not absorbed by the new company. In 1928, the Aviation Department became Vickers (Aviation) Ltd and soon after acquired Supermarine , which became
4355-506: Was once a popular seaside holiday destination, whilst Barrow still relies on the seas for a large percentage of its economy in ship and submarine construction. The bay has Britain's second-largest natural gas field, in the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone with a seal of Mercia Mudstone and a Carboniferous source. The South Morecambe Field, covering an area of 32 sq mi (83 km ), was discovered in 1974 and
4422-629: Was privatised as Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering in 1986, later part of GEC's Marconi Marine. It remains in operation to this day as BAE Systems Submarines . With their steelworking operations also nationalised into British Steel Corporation the remnants of Vickers became Vickers plc . In 1986, Vickers acquired the armaments manufacturer Royal Ordnance Factory , Leeds , which became Vickers Defence Systems. Other acquisitions included automotive engineers Cosworth in 1990, waterjet manufacturer Kamewa in 1986 and Norwegian marine propulsion and engineering company Ulstein in 1998. 1998 also saw
4489-613: Was stamped V.S.M. The yard at Barrow became the "Construction Yard". With these acquisitions, Vickers could now produce a complete selection of products, from ships and marine fittings to armour plate and a whole suite of ordnance. In 1901 the Royal Navy 's first submarine, Holland 1 , was launched at the Naval Construction Yard. In 1902 Vickers took a half share in the famous Clyde shipyard John Brown & Company . Further diversification occurred in 1901 with
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