Britain's shipbuilding legacy

Britain's shipbuilding legacy

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Glasgow used to produce around a fifth of the world’s ships, but its days as an industrial powerhouse are over - only two major shipyards remain.

Far south in England, Portsmouth was once the centre of more than 500 years of shipbuilding, but the industry there is now coming to an end. Yet while British shipbuilding has drawn down over many decades, its legacy continues.

. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

A welder works on a section of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier in Govan - one of the two remaining big shipyards in Glasgow.

Run by the defence contractor BAE Systems, the yards employ some 3,200 people, including some seconded to another Scottish yard at Rosyth.

However, many face cuts after BAE announced in November that it planned to lay off 1,775 ship workers across the UK, ending shipbuilding in its southern English yard of Portsmouth and cutting some 835 jobs across its other sites.

. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

BAE is considering investing millions to upgrade its facilities in Glasgow and is looking at an option to consolidate production in a single site at Scotstoun. That would mean that shipbuilding in Govan - pictured above - would end too.

This upgrade is not expected to bring any further job losses, a company spokesperson said. Yet the sight of another shipyard facing possible closure is an iconic symbol in a city that has seen most of its heavy industry disintegrate.

. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Today, showy entertainment venues, museums and new housing blocks have replaced many of the shipyards that once lined the River Clyde. Glasgow promotes itself not as an industrial centre, but as a business and financial hub, soon to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Some 23,500 jobs have been created by new investment since 2003, according to Clyde Waterfront, a government partnership that has been facilitating a wide range of projects.

But although billions of pounds of investment have given Glasgow a shining new waterfront and growth in sectors like financial services, the city still struggles with high levels of deprivation and unemployment.

. Portsmouth, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

In Portsmouth the construction of ships is now ending and, like Glasgow, parts of it suffer from severe deprivation.

However, the Royal Navy remains stationed in the seaside city and many marks of its maritime identity remain.

The HMS Warrior, a hulking warship from 1860 in the city’s Historic Dockyard, is one example.

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Slideshow

Cranes are seen at the BAE yard in Govan on a misty morning.
. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Cranes are seen at the BAE yard in Govan on a misty morning.

An employee works on a section of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier at the Govan yard.
. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

An employee works on a section of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier at the Govan yard.

Rubbish is seen floating in the water at the Govan Graving Docks in Glasgow.
. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Rubbish is seen floating in the water at the Govan Graving Docks in Glasgow.

A broken light stands by the docks.
. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

A broken light stands by the docks.

Iain Mckechnie chops wood at the Galgael Trust, a charity based in Govan that runs programmes for the long-term unemployed and other marginalised groups.
. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Iain Mckechnie chops wood at the Galgael Trust, a charity based in Govan that runs programmes for the long-term unemployed and other marginalised groups.

Jason Kavanagh works on a boat at the Galgael Trust.
. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Jason Kavanagh works on a boat at the Galgael Trust.

A partially demolished apartment block stands in Scotstoun, Glasgow.
. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

A partially demolished apartment block stands in Scotstoun, Glasgow.

Members of the Yarrow Recreation Bowling Club - named after the shipyard in Scotstoun, which was known as Yarrows before it was taken over by BAE - watch a bowls game.
. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Members of the Yarrow Recreation Bowling Club - named after the shipyard in Scotstoun, which was known as Yarrows before it was taken over by BAE - watch a bowls game.

New housing developments are seen in Govan, which has undergone a multi-million regeneration project after parts of it were left derelict following the decline of shipbuilding.
. Glasgow, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

New housing developments are seen in Govan, which has undergone a multi-million regeneration project after parts of it were left derelict following the decline of shipbuilding.

Youths ride a bike near the seafront in Portsmouth.
. Portsmouth, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Youths ride a bike near the seafront in Portsmouth.

A man named Graham gets ready for a swim in the sea.
. Portsmouth, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

A man named Graham gets ready for a swim in the sea.

Eighty-four-year-old Hannemarie Mundell showers after taking a dip at Portsmouth’s seafront.
. Portsmouth, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Eighty-four-year-old Hannemarie Mundell showers after taking a dip at Portsmouth’s seafront.

A woman walks past the closed entrance of the South Parade Pier.
. Portsmouth, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

A woman walks past the closed entrance of the South Parade Pier.

A fisherman works in Portsmouth.
. Portsmouth, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

A fisherman works in Portsmouth.

A seagull sits on a sculpture titled “'Mudlarks” at sunset in Portsmouth.
. Portsmouth, United Kingdom. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

A seagull sits on a sculpture titled “'Mudlarks” at sunset in Portsmouth.