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The following article is adapted from an original in the Holyhead Reference Library Archive Records.
The HBRC gratefully acknowledge the authors of all photographs and illustrations in this article.
THE BUILDING OF THE BREAKWATER
The decisions having been taken and the plans being made, building began on the breakwater,
or at least preparations made to build it - or them, as originally of course, there were two breakwaters
to be built, plus a new packet pier within the new harbour.
Mr. Thonas Jackson, whose work "The Visitor's Handbook for Holyhead" published in 1853 is quoted in the
chapter on the coming of the Railway, wrote an eye-witness account of the building, and we cannot do better
than to borrow his words once again :-
"The Contractors for this gigantic project are Messrs. J. and C. Rigby, London, G. G. Dobson, Esq., C.E. , is
the Resident Engineer and Ir. R. Cousins, Engineer for the Contractors. The works were commenced in January 1848,
and they Have been going on since then as rapidly as it was possible to proceed. Twelve-months were occupied in
laying down rails to the quarries, erecting stages, and making other necessary preparations for the works; since
which, an average of 1,30O men have been employed on the works. The broad gauge has been used for the railway, by
which means the contractors were enabled to bring larger pieces of stone, than the narrow gauge could accommodate.
There are two quarries used, one called Moelfre Quarry, from which limestone is produced, and the other is, in fact,
the Holyhead Mountain, from the sides of which the materials for the works are taken. A railway is formed from the
extensive quarry on the side of the mountain to the Soldier's Point, and Salt Island."
(Buoys were moored to mark the lines of the piers) ."Wooden staging is ran out into the sea, strong long balks or
piles are fixed in a vertical position in the water, resting on the base; these are secured with beams placed
lonigitudinally so as to found a "base for the construction of the railway". The top of the staging is considerably
above high-water mark. The depth of the sea at low water, on the line of the breakwater, varies from 20 to 40 ft;
the tide rising on the average to a further height of 12 ft. in spring and 7 ft. in neaps. Along the top of the
staging are railways capable of sustaining the weight of a locomotive engine and a number of wagons loaded."
"In the erection of these stage the utmost care has been evinced by the contractors and engineers to prevent accident;
in order to obtain this object, no expense has been spared; the machinery and staging being of the best and strongest
description. .... In no quarries extant is work of such magnitude and rapidity carried on. Holyhead Mountain . . . consists
of schistus quartz of so hard a nature that the tools of the workmen will scarcely touch it, and its edges will cut glass.
The quarrying begun with the foot of the mountain slope, and it has progressed into the mountain until an elevation 130 feet
perpendicular has been attained. The scene of the quarries exhibits one of the most active pictures of industry, from the
width of the workings, and the number of labourers employed."
Mr. Jackson goes on to describe a scene of intense industry and interest, of tram-lines laid out, wagons rolling about, horses
and men, locomotive engines "of unique ctesign and requirements" and a great many workshops. At the beginning of the Breakwater,
beside Mr. RLgby's house at Soldier's Point, the walls may still be seen of what was a village of industry, with smiths and foundries,
offices and carpenters' workshops.
Railway lines were laid not only from the quarries to Soldier's Point, and along the wooden gantry of the breakwater, but also along
the top of the Newry or Town Beach, to Salt Island, and the site of the East Breakwater. The stones that supported this railway may still
be seen along The "Top Prom" or promenade, and the beginnings of the rubble foundation for the pier are stretched sea-wards from the tip of
Salt Island. Owing to changes in plan in 1854 the pier was abandoned and the line dismantled. Rendel's proposed plan for a Packet pier
does not seem to have been started.
The rubble foundation for the pier stretches sea-wards from the tip of Salt Island. (Picture centre).
Rubble from the quarry was used to form the foundation, and it is more than 500 feet wide all along its length, and in some parts very deep.
The actual rubble came from the Mountain, while the gigantic blocks of wall were brought from Moelfre by sailing boat. Laying the foundations
were of course the most difficult and dangerous parts of the work, which was frequently, hindered by storms, and despite the care
Mr. Jackson talks about 20 workmen lost their lives between 1849-1852.
It is noted that the pay of a stone-mason was ?/6 per day, and that of a labourer 2/6. The sanount of stone they moved was tremendous -
24,000 tons - laid in one week. Approximately 7,000,000 tons of stone was laid. A solid wall of stone was laid on top of the foundation,
some 39ft high, of two decks, with a rail track laid on the lower, and a parapet on the seaward side. The swell of the sea was reduced
considerably as soon as the stones reached sea level, and ships began to shelter more and more within the harbour, thus thoroughly justifying
the building of the harbour even before its completion.
More blasting was done at this time in the quarry than had been done anywhere in the United Kingdom. In 1857 the biggest blast ever created
at that time took place when it was said that 150,000 tons of stone were dislodged. Just before the explosion took place, a goat was seen on
the mountain just above the site. The area had already been cleared, and it was too late to do anything about the animal so the surprise
of the onlookers may be imagined when after the blast the goat was seen unhurt a few yards further away - the earth had moved in one piece,
thus absorbing the shock of the blast, and the goat had remained safe on top. Many engineers and V. I. P. s came to witness this blast.
In 1854 meanwhile far-reaching changes had taken place. Most, indeed nearly all, the ship that used or would use the Harbour of Refuge were
sailing ships, for which manoeuvring was difficult in certain winds. In this year it was decided that the proposed entrance to the harbour
was too small for safety, and the East Breakwater was abandoned. The North Breakwater was extended turning north-east, making the Breakwater
one and half miles long, then the longest in Europe, and giving the harbour of refuge three times the area and much deeper water. This change
of plan gave the Break its peculiar and distinctive shape, which makes it unique. This cannot be appreciated from either the town or the seaward
side, but only from the foot of the Break or from the Mountain. (See illustration).
The peculiar and distinctive shape of the Holyhead Breakwater.
Also in 1854 the inner pier for the Packet Boats was abandoned, for complex reasons. The Chester and
Holyhead Railway Company had offered the sum of £200,000 towards the building of the pier. (The estimated cost of the whole harbour works
was £628,063). Then a controversy arose that this would give the Railway Co., a monopoly on the packet service, which was entirely contrary
to the Government's intentions.
Opposition to the proposed plan was raised by among others, Charles Wye Williams of Liverpool in a letter addressed to Viscount Sand, M. P .,
entitled "Remarks on the Proposed Asylum Harbour at Holyhead, and the Monopoly Contemplated by the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company."
It was not coincidental surely that Mr. Williams was a Director of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Co. , the rival shipping firm! His letter
is printed with the date March 6th, 1841, which shows the matter was under consideration for some years. Lord Sand was the MP for Liverpool.
His objections appear to have been valid, for the matter was debated in the House "relative to the Formation of a Harbour at Holyhead, and
agreements with the Chester and Holyhead Railway Co. to contribute to the said harbour" it was decided that a special provision be introduced
in the General Railway Bill now before Parliament, to the effect that 'Railway Companies or Companies estimating for the construction of the
Pier or Harbour, shall be absolutely prohibited from becoming ship-owners, merchants, or General Traders'
In 1850 an Act was passed relieving the Railway Company from giving the £200,000, and so the pier was abandoned. (It is the opinion of
recent Shipping and Port Management of Holyhead that this pier, if constructed, would have been an invaluable asset to the town during the 20th.
century). In 1854 an Act was passed "regulating and maintaining the harbours and Holyhead and vesting them with the Admiralty", and the changes
mentioned above were put into force. Thus, the whole aim of the Harbour was changed, it became solely a Harbour of Refuse, a haven for which
many a mariner was thankful.
In 1856 John Hawkshaw succeeded Rendel as chief engineer. A legend has grown in the town that the change
in plans was a mistake, the Breakwater should not have been the shape it is, and that Rendel committed
suicide because of it. This is complete nonsense, of course, Rendel died peacefully in his bed; apparently
another, lesser engineer did commit suicide, but for entirely unconnected reasons.
The visit of the "Great Eastern* to the town in October 1859 provides an interesting - and unique opportunity
to examine the town, and the state of the Breakwater. Perusal of the pictures of the "Illustrated London News"
of October 22nd reveals many interesting details, e.g. the amount of ships in the harbour, the lofty
three-masted schooner, the fishing smacks, the boats combining sail and steam, the amount of building in the
town on the East Side of the Inner Harbour (from Skinner's Monument), and gives the reader excellent views of
the works, the trains and the buildings at Soldier's Point. It shows also the wooden jetty extending seaward
from Admiralty Pier, as well as more mundane but nevertheless interesting things such as the dress of the
people.
In 1865 Queen Victoria visited the site, and an illustration shows her in one of the little trains, drawn by
horses, in the Quarry. Ten years later the work was completed, and her son performed the opening ceremonies.
A circular platform was built at the end of the Breakwater to give ample room for the lighthouse, and on the
wall a gun-metal plate was erected, inscribed :-
"This Breakwater was commenced in 1845, and on August 19th, 1873, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, declared
the work to be complete.
Superintendent Engineers - James Meadows Rendel, 1845-56
John Hawkshaw 1851-73
G.C. Dobson, Resident Engineer.
J.& E. Rigby, Contractors."
The lighthouse is a square structure, standing 70ft. above high water mark, with a red revolving light.
The local firm of Tan-y-Refail Builders had the job during the last year or so of clearing up and adding
final touches. The town and works must have seemed very quiet when all was finished, but fortunately there
was not much redundancy as deployment of works on the Inner Harbour started almost immediately.
The work has never been abandoned, however, as reconstruction and repairs have constantly been needed,
because of the driving force of the north and north-east gales. In 1878 William Williams, contractors
of Holyhead, were paid £1,100 by the Treasury for repairing the foundations, and further huge amounts
of rubble were deposited 1880, 1886, 1887, and 1889-90. In 1911 and 1913 S. Pearson and Sons, contractors
of Westminster added 267,000 tons to the foundations from the quarry, and in 1914 24 steel cases filled with
concrete were placed around the lighthouse (and are clearly to be seen) . So today the Breakwater is
maintained as an unequalled defence against the sea, and also as a fine promenade.
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