Barrow Archives is set to host a talk on the Building of Barrow Docks between 1860-1880 this month at Barrow library.

The talk by Jean McSorley on October 10 will reveal fascinating information such as maps that have never made public and hidden details from photos and background stories of the town’s biggest ever construction project.

The talk is in honour of years of back-breaking work by thousands of dockers with the docks classed as a ‘triumph of engineering’ that would put Barrow on the world map.

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The Sankeys were a father-and-son trio who documented life in Furness in photographs for over 70 years. 

Although not quite early enough to capture the bulk of the construction of the docks, the family began around 1900 and captured pictures of the airshed being built and part of the dock system.

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Some of this system is pictured under construction in 1907 with a large crane on the quayside of Buccleuch dock which is covered with large piles of stone/earth.

SS Eros of Newcastle listing to one side to aid with the unloading of its cargo of timber in 1911 (Image: Sankey online archive)

In 1910, photos start to emerge of the airship shed that housed some of the biggest vessels known to the world at the time. 

A large steel structure is under construction alongside the dock wall which is the very early stages of the shed.

They also captured some of the international battle cruisers to grace the docks.

From as early as 1902, the launch of Submarine Holland Class No2 can be seen in the online archive complete with four sailors on deck.

A fantastic old fashioned dredger is also pictured at work at Buccleuch Dock in 1910.

Old fashioned dredger in 1910 (Image: Sankey online archive) Other massive vessels pictured are Battlecruiser Kongo in 1912, Brazilian battleship Sao Paulo in 1909, the Rurik Russian Armoured Cruiser L in 1908.

Disasters also occurred at the docks in the early 20th century that were on a scale as big as the vessels it housed.

The remains of a partially collapsed dockside crane at Buccleuch dock are pictured in 1907, the result of a crane smash.

Smashed crane in 1907 (Image: Sankey online archive) The rear section has broken away leaving only the support tower and jib remaining. Part of the wreckage can be seen on the quayside.

A horse-drawn steam fire engine is pictured in 1908 following a fire that broke out at Gradwells Timber Yard, the entrance to Devonshire Dock.

The floating docks at Ramsden Docks are sadly floating in the water after they were destroyed by a storm in 1911.

This is not forgetting the mighty 512ft Mayfly airship disaster that broke in half in the same year.

The Mayfly airship disaster in 1911 (Image: Sankey online archive) The sheer size of the vessel meant that it capsized further once extracted from the water months later. 

These are just some of the background details for the images contained in the Sankey Archive - the Barrow Archives talk will have a lot more.

Booking is essential for the free event so call 01229 407377 or email barrow.archives@cumberland.gov.uk to book.