Gloucester Ferro-Concrete Shipbuilding Co.Ltd.,
Gloucester, U.K.
(Established 28 Dec. 1917)

Objects: To design and build ferro-concrete cargo boats, sea-going ships and barges, river and canal boats, and craft of all kinds.
Signatories: Nicholls and Hobrough. The initial directors were William Henry Turner Nicholls, Walter Turner Nicholls, William Francis Holbrough and Francis Richard Holbrough.
Their shipyard was at Hempstead, south-west of the city centre and on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal.
In 1919 the company was renamed the Gloucester Concrete Construction Co. Ltd, after the end of the shipbuilding programme.
It lasted a few more years, until 1925, when it was put into voluntary liquidation.
Six concrete barges were built between the Bristol Rd and the canal on the site now occupied by the Elver Station and Lloyde Nationale.
From the tow path opposite, some of the concrete launching ramps are still just visible at the water line. After WW1, the site was used by the Gloucester Concrete Construction Co for making breeze blocks using ashes from the nearby gas works.

CRETEROCK (barge) Yard.no: 136 ?, (Off.no.: 142778)
 Lch.: 1918.11.23., Compl.: 1919
712 grt, 695 nrt.
Dim: 54,86 x 9,58 x 5,79 m
Owners:
 1917: Ordered as PD 136
1919: Completed for  The Shipping Controller, London, U.K. as CRETEROCK
 1920.10.09. Collided with trawler LORD CECIL off the Humber Lightvessel and later went aground at Wheathall Point, Sunderland and broke her back - she was on a voyage from  Shoreham for the Tyne in tow of tug CRETECABLE
 

  
CRETEROAD (barge) Yard.no: 137? (Off.no.: 143214)
 Lch.: 1918.12., Compl.: 1919.05.
712 grt, 695 nrt.
Dim: 54,86 x 9,58 x 5,79 m.
Owners:
1917: Ordered as PD 137.
1919.05.: Completed for The Shipping Controller, London, U.K. as CRETEROAD.
1921: Transferred to the Board of Trade, London, U.K.
1922. Crete Shipping Co. Ltd., London, U.K. (mgr: Stelp & Leighton Ltd.)
1928.. A.T.Vega, Gijon, Spain.
(1948. In LR same owner.)
 		  
CRETERIDGE (barge) Yard.no: 138 ?. (Off.no.: 143341)
 Lch.: 1919.05., Compl.: 1919.
712 grt., 695 nrt
Dim: 54,86 x 9,57 x 4,98 m.
Owners:
1917: Ordered as PD 138.
1919: Completed for The Shipping Controller, London, U.K. as CRETERIDGE.
1919.12.13.: Ashore on Banjaard Bank, Holland, broke in two and total loss. She was on a voyage Hull - Antwerp in tow of tug CRETEBOW.
 		  
CRETERIVER (barge) Yard.no: 139 ?.  (Off.no.: 143418)
 Lch.: 1919.08., Compl.: 1919.09.
718 grt., 695 nrt
Dim: 54,86 m x 9,60 x 4,99 m.
Owners:
1917: Ordered as PD 139
1919.09.: Completed for  The Shipping Controller, London, U.K. as CRETERIVER.
1921: Transferred to the Board of Trade, London, U.K.
1922: Crete Shipping Co. Ltd., London, U.K. (mgr: Stelp & Leighton Ltd.).
1924: Sold to U.S.S.R.
(?)
 		  
CRETERAVINE (barge) Yard.no: 140 ?. (Off.no.: 143838)
 Lch.: 1919.09., Compl.: 1919.11.
 718 grt., 695 nrt.
Dim: 54,86  x 9,57  x 4,98 m.
Owners:
1917: Ordered as PD 140.
1919.11.: Completed for  The Shipping Controller, London, U.K. as CRETERAVINE.
1921: Transferred to the Board of Trade, London, U.K.
1922: Crete Shipping Co. Ltd., London, U.K. (mgr: Stelp & Leighton Ltd.)
1924: Dalen Portland Cementfabrik, Brevik, Norway as DPC 58
(?)
 		  
CRETERAMPART (barge) (Off.no.: 144359) Yard.no: 141?.
 Lch.: 1919.12., Compl.: 1920.02.
718 grt, 696 nrt.
Dim: 54,86 x 9,58 x 5,79 m.
Owners:
1917: Ordered as PD 141.
1920.02.: Completed for  The Shipping Controller, London, U.K. as CRETERAMPART.
1921: Transferred to the Board of Trade, London, U.K.
1922: Crete Shipping Co. Ltd., London, U.K. (mgr: Stelp & Leighton Ltd.)
1924: John Robertson, Lerwick, U.K. as a coaling hulk for fishing fleet.
1927: W.Leslie & Co. Ltd., Aberdeen, U.K.
1935: Hering By-Products Ltd., Aberdeen, U.K.
1937: Frederick O. Mullinder, Lowestoft, and still stationed at Lerwick
1942: Robertsons (Lerwick) Ltd, Lerwick, U.K.
1948 Sold to Iceland.
 		  

Thanks to David Asprey for updating help on this page.

Last update: 2001.03.26.