Naval and Maritime

The ss Great Britain and her Shipyard Site, Bristol

Client: The ss Great Britain TrustThe ss Great Britain and her Shipyard Site, Bristol
Site: Iron ship with hull and engine designed by a committee including I K Brunel, built between 1839 and 1843 in a shipyard with a dry dock at Bristol. The largest ship in the world when built, with a screw propeller and balanced rudder. In 1970 she was rescued from the Falklands, where she had been used as a hulk and then beached in 1937. She was returned to the dock in Bristol in which she was built.
Summary of Project: To contribute to a Conservation Plan for the ship and shipyard. This involved extending existing knowledge of the history of ship, dock and shipyard; a broad analysis of cultural significance; a review and evaluation of how the conservation of the ship and site had been managed since the rescue and the development of conservation policies.
Objective: To contribute to a Conservation Plan prior to a successful HLF bid. The re-presented ship and dockyard won the Gulbenkian Museum of the Year award in 2006.

The Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth

Client: The Plymouth Development CorporationThe Royal William Victualling Yard, Stonehouse, Plymouth
Site: Victualling Yard designed by John Rennie and erected 1823-1833. The yard was built to supply the navy (and the army abroad) in time of war with supplies of food, drink and clothing produced from massive stores and manufacturing buildings. These were grouped on a secure site with its own harbour.
Summary of Project: Researching the history of the development of the site and the buildings.
Objective: To provide developers and architects working on new uses for the buildings with information about their design and functional histories and their importance.

The Cobb, Lyme Regis, Dorset

Client: West Dorset District Council: the Engineering DepartmentThe Cobb, Lyme Regis, Dorset
Site: A breakwater protecting Lyme Regis and including quays. 13th century in origin, regularly rebuilt following storm damage. The medieval scheme was ambitious, providing a sheltered haven for ships in a part of the south coast without any others between Topsham/ Exeter and Southampton.
Summary of Project: Providing a structural history of the Cobb, based on research and observation.
Objective: Originally limited to understanding the history of paving the Cobb in connection with a proposal to resurface parts of the structure following anxieties about both safety and conformity with EU regulations for fish quays. During the course of research the client encouraged Keystone to develop the work into a full structural history of the Cobb as a means of analysing the frequency, cost and longevity of major repairs.