Govan Graving Dock is to welcome ships again as a £500,000 restoration programme gets under way.
Constructed between 1869 and 1875, Dock 1 at Govan Graving Docks, which featured in the First World War film 1917, hosted hundreds of ships from across the world until it closed in 1987.
Now the A-listed dry dock is set to have a new lease of life and will be returned to a fully operational ship repair and maintenance facility by the end of this year.
Govan Drydock Ltd have secured a licence to operate Govan Graving Dock number one and to bring the facility back to life for use by historic and commercial ships.
Peter Breslin, Managing Director of Govan Drydock Ltd, said: “We are committed to retaining the heritage and preserving the history of Govan Graving Dock. I am honoured to be returning this historic drydock back to active service and look forward to progressing with the restoration programme over the next six months.
"The facility will breathe life into the Govan area of Glasgow, bring employment opportunities and will become a much-needed facility for historic and commercial ships and ship owners for many years to come.”
Iain Sim, Chairman of Friends of TS Queen Mary, added: “The Trustees are very pleased to note that Govan Dry Dock will be available to Glasgow's historic ships and we wish the team well with the restoration programme to reopen this historic dock.
“Following the recent announcement of the intention to return the TS Queen Mary to active service, we have been exploring options for the restoration of the ship. We look forward to discussing the next phases of the TS Queen Mary restoration project with the Govan Drydock team.”
Martin Sealeaf, CEO, The SeaKing Group, added: “With first-hand experience working with Peter, I am looking forward to staying updated with such a meaningful project. Peter's attention to detail and experience within the maritime industry will ensure that the restoration of the historic dock will add value at a social-economic level and provide the docks long-term future for commercial use. The SeaKing Group will be actively supporting the project technically and commercially in the coming months.”
