Cory is a recycling and
waste management
Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal.
This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring ...
company based in London. Originally founded as William Cory & Son in 1896, the company has operated vessels on the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
for more than 125 years, transporting a range of commodities and materials including coal, oil, aggregates and waste. Ships from Cory's fleet supported Britain's war efforts in both world wars, with 30 ships being lost during the conflicts. From the 1980s onwards, the business has become increasingly focused on waste management.
Locations and operations
![Riverside energy from waste facility](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Riverside_energy_from_waste_facility.jpg)
Cory’s site footprint spans the length of the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
from
Wandsworth
Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan
The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Gre ...
in the west to
Gravesend
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...
in the east.
The company operates:
* five waste transfer stations providing river access for London and the South East, including eight London Boroughs:
Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham () is a London borough in West London and which also forms part of Inner London. The borough was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham. The borou ...
, the
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is an Inner London borough with royal status. It is the smallest borough in London and the second smallest district in England; it is one of the most densely populated administrative regions in the ...
,
Wandsworth
Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan
The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Gre ...
,
Lambeth
Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area expe ...
, the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...
,
Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough covering much of the traditional East End. It was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former metropolitan boroughs of Stepney, Poplar, and Bethnal Green. 'Tower Hamlets' was originally ...
,
Barking and Dagenham
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham () is a London borough in East London. It lies around 9 miles (14.4 km) east of Central London. It is an Outer London borough and the south is within the London Riverside section of the Thames Ga ...
, and
Bexley
Bexley is an area of south-eastern Greater London, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is sometimes known as Bexley Village or Old Bexley to differentiate the area from the wider borough. It is located east-southeast of Char ...
.
* a fleet of five tugs and more than 50 barges transporting waste on the river.
Cory’s river-based infrastructure for transporting waste is unique in the UK and removes 100,000 truck movements from the roads every year.
Cory maintains and repairs these vessels, as well as third-party vessels, at sites in
Charlton and
Gravesend
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...
.
* recycling sorting facilities in
Wandsworth
Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan
The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Gre ...
and
Barking
Barking may refer to:
Places
* Barking, London, a town in East London, England
** London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, a local government district covering the town of Barking
** Municipal Borough of Barking, a historical local government dist ...
.
* an incinerator bottom ash (IBA) transfer station at the
Port of Tilbury
The Port of Tilbury is a port on the River Thames at Tilbury in Essex, England. It is the principal port for London, as well as being the main United Kingdom port for handling the importation of paper. There are extensive facilities for contai ...
.
* Riverside 1, one of the UK’s largest
energy from waste
Waste-to-energy (WtE) or energy-from-waste (EfW) is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste, or the processing of waste into a fuel source. WtE is a form of energy recovery. Mo ...
(EfW) facilities, in
Belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region
Africa
*Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco
*Belvedere, Harare, Zim ...
,
London Borough of Bexley
The London Borough of Bexley () is a London boroughs, London borough in south-east London, forming part of Outer London. It has a population of 248,287. The main settlements are Sidcup, Erith, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Welling and Old Bexley. The ...
. The facility processed 782,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste in 2021, diverting it from landfill and saving 133,000 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere.
In the process, 532 GWh of baseload electricity was generated and 170,000 tonnes of ash were turned into aggregate for construction.
In 2020, Cory received planning permission to build another EfW facility adjacent to the existing one in Belvedere. The company is also developing a district heat network with
Vattenfall
Vattenfall is a Swedish multinational power company owned by the Swedish State. Beyond Sweden, the company generates power in Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
The company's name is Swedish for "waterfall", and ...
and a
carbon capture and storage
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) or carbon capture and sequestration is the process of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) before it enters the atmosphere, transporting it, and storing it (carbon sequestration) for centuries or millennia. Usually th ...
scheme which aims to be the world's biggest single-site waste decarbonisation project.
History
Coal and refuse
![SS William Cory aground](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/SS_William_Cory_aground.jpg)
The company was founded in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 1896 as William Cory and Son Ltd.
Cory was formed from the merger of eight companies in the coal trade and had a comprehensive business in transporting and supplying five million tonnes of coal per year to trade and domestic customers in London.
[ Cory had a fleet of 2,500 railway wagons and also operated ]lighters
A lighter is a portable device which creates a flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, gas lighter, fireworks, candles or campfires. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable liquid or ...
on the River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
.[ Rather than operate its lighters unladen on their return journeys from delivering coal, Cory used them to carry refuse from London to be dumped in the marshlands of Essex and Kent.][
After the turn of the 20th century, Cory started to provide ]social housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, def ...
for some of its workforce.
Cory ships had brown upper works above hull level.[Talbot-Booth, 1942, page 611] The funnel was black with a broad white band, and a large black diamond on the white band.[Harnack, 1938, plate 30, between pages 612–613] The house flag
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...
was red with a large white or cream diamond in the middle.[
* In 1900 S.P. Austin & Co of ]Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
built the 1,780 GRT coaster
Coaster (stylized as COASTER) is a commuter rail service in the central and northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States operated by the North County Transit District (NCTD). The commuter rail line features eight s ...
SS ''Heston'' for the company. On 24 May 1902 she was en route from Decido to Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
laden with iron ore when she was involved in a collision with SS ''Castillo'' and sank in the Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...
southwest of Point Penmarc'h
Point Penmarc'h, often spelled Point Penmarch, or in French Pointe de Penmarc'h, is the extremity of a small peninsula in Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France,''Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition'', p. 915 ...
in Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
.[
* In 1902 S.P. Austin & Co. built the 1,191 GRT collier SS ''Caenwood'' for the company.] On 21 November 1905 she ran aground and was wrecked in the North Sea off the North Landing of Flamborough Head
Flamborough Head () is a promontory, long on the Yorkshire coast of England, between the Filey and Bridlington bays of the North Sea. It is a chalk headland, with sheer white cliffs. The cliff top has two standing lighthouse towers, the olde ...
.[
* In 1896 Cory bought the 867 GRT coaster SS ''F.T. Barry'', which Backhouse and Dixon of ]Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
had built in 1872. On 23 June 1906 she was involved in a collision in the North Sea with SS ''Tynesider'', was beached on Gunfleet Sands off Clacton-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea is a seaside town in the Tendring District in the county of Essex, England. It is located on the Tendring Peninsula and is the largest settlement in the Tendring District with a population of 56,874 (2016). The town is situated a ...
and became a total loss.[
* In 1896 Cory bought the 1,053 GRT coaster SS ''Nellie Wise'', which Denton Gray & Co of ]West Hartlepool
West Hartlepool was a predecessor of Hartlepool, County Durham, England. It developed in the Victorian era and took the name from its western position in the parish of what is now known as the Headland.
The former town was originally formed in ...
had built in 1873. On 8 January 1908 while ''en route'' from London to the River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Wate ...
she ran aground on Blackhall Rocks northwest of Hartlepool.[ She was refloated but sold for scrap.][
* In 1909 S.P. Austin & Co. built the 2,660 GRT ]coaster
Coaster (stylized as COASTER) is a commuter rail service in the central and northern coastal regions of San Diego County, California, United States operated by the North County Transit District (NCTD). The commuter rail line features eight s ...
SS ''William Cory'' for the company. She ran aground at Pendeen
Pendeen (from kw, Penn Din meaning "headland fort", previously known as kw, Boskaswal Wartha, meaning "Caswal's high dwelling") is a village and ecclesiastical parish on the Penwith peninsula in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is north-northea ...
in Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
and was wrecked in September 1910.[
]
First World War
In World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
Cory mobilised as D Company, 6th Battalion of The Buffs (commonly known as Cory's Unit) and many lost their lives fighting in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. It also mobilised its boats in support of the war effÂÂort, losing 17 ships during the war:
* SS ''Deptford'' was a 1,208 GRT collier built by Blyth Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in 1912. She was a flatiron
Flatiron or flat iron may refer to various things, often in the shape of a wedge:
Objects
*Clothes iron
*Hair iron
Places
*Flatiron Building, New York City, at the intersection of 5th & Broadway
**Flatiron District, New York City, named after ...
, meaning that she had a low-profile superstructure, hinged funnel and hinged or telescopic mast to pass under low bridges on the River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
upriver form the Pool of London
The Pool of London is a stretch of the River Thames from London Bridge to below Limehouse.
Part of the Tideway of the Thames, the Pool was navigable by tall-masted vessels bringing coastal and later overseas goods—the wharves there were the ...
.[ On 24 February 1915 she was en route from Granton to ]Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
carrying coal for naval bunkering when she was sunk by a mine
Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to:
Extraction or digging
* Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging
*Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine
Grammar
*Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun
...
in the Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
minefield that the German cruiser had laid during the raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
The Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby on 16 December 1914 was an attack by the Imperial German Navy on the British ports of Scarborough, Hartlepool, West Hartlepool and Whitby. The bombardments caused hundreds of civilian casualties an ...
on 15 December 1914.[ One crew member was lost.][
* SS ''Hadley'' was a 1,777 GRT coaster built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1901.] On 27 December 1915 she was en route from Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is als ...
to London when a mine laid by the German minelaying submarine sank her in the north sea three miles (5 km) from the Shipwash lightship, which is southwest of Orford Ness
Orford Ness is a cuspate foreland shingle spit on the Suffolk coast in Great Britain, linked to the mainland at Aldeburgh and stretching along the coast to Orford and down to North Weir Point, opposite Shingle Street. It is divided from the m ...
.[ All her crew were saved.][
* SS ''Denewood'' was a 1,221 GRT coaster built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1905.] On 26 May 1916 she was carrying coal from the River Tyne to London when she was sunk in the North Sea by a mine off Sizewell
Sizewell is an English fishing hamlet in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. It belongs to the civil parish of Leiston and lies on the North Sea coast just north of the larger holiday village of Thorpeness, between the coastal towns ...
.[ All her crew were saved.][
* SS ''Brentwood'' was a 1,192 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1904.] On 12 January 1917 she was sunk in the North Sea by a mine laid by the German minelaying submarine .[ She sank off ]Saltwick Nab
Saltwick Bay is a north-east facing bay approximately to the east of Whitby, on the east coast of North Yorkshire, England. The bay contains the Saltwick Nab alum quarries, listed under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 ...
near Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
with the loss of her second mate and a fireman (stoker).[ SS ''Togston'' rescued the survivors and landed them at Sunderland.][
* SS ''Hurstwood'' was a 1,229 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1906.] On 5 February 1917 she was steaming from London to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in ballast when the German submarine torpedoed and sank her off Whitby.[ The ]chief engineer
A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the most senior engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that department..Chief engineer's ...
and a fireman (stoker) were killed in the explosion and two men were seriously injured.[ 11 survivors got away in a boat and were rescued by the ]armed trawler
Naval trawlers are vessels built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes; they were widely used during the First and Second World Wars. Some—known in the Royal Navy as "Admiralty trawlers"— were purpose-built to ...
HMS ''Swallow'' but one of the injured, a donkeyman, died of his injuries.[
* SS ''Harberton'' was a 1,443 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1894 for J.& C. Harrison of London.] On 29 March 1917 she left Blyth for London laden with coal.[ Neither she nor her master and 15 crew were seen again.][ She is presumed to have been either torpedoed by an enemy submarine or sunk by an enemy mine.][ Her date of loss is recorded as 30 March but this is conjectural and her wreck has not yet been found.][
* SS ''Sir Francis'' was a 1,991 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1910.] On 7 June 1917 she was steaming northwards to the River Tyne when the German submarine sank her with two torpedoes[ off ]Cloughton
Cloughton (pronounced ''Clow-tun'') is a small village and civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England.
Description
It is situated approximately north of Scarborough town centre.
It has a parish church and two pubs â ...
. Her master and nine crew were lost, SS ''Dryade'' and the Cory ship SS ''Vernon'' (see below) rescued 12 survivors, and the latter landed all the survivors at South Shields
South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the 20 ...
.[
* SS ''Vernon'' was a 982 ton coaster built by John Blumer & Co. of Sunderland in 1878.] On 7 June 1917 she took part in the rescue of survivors from the Cory collier SS ''Sir Francis''[ (see above). On 31 August 1917 in the ]North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
off Spurn
Spurn is a narrow sand tidal island located off the tip of the coast of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England that reaches into the North Sea and forms the north bank of the mouth of the Humber Estuary. It was a spit with a semi-permanent co ...
, the German submarine torpedoed and sank ''Vernon'' and one of her crew was lost.[
* SS ''Hockwold'' was a 1,492 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1911.] On 8 September 1917 she in the western approaches to the English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
when she was involved in a collision with SS ''Intent'' southwest of The Lizard
The Lizard ( kw, An Lysardh) is a peninsula in southern Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly point of the British mainland is near Lizard Point at SW 701115; Lizard village, also known as The Lizard, is the most southerl ...
and sank with the loss of 10 men[ including her master.] ''Intent'' rescued two survivors and recovered the body of the master.[
* SS ''Harrow'' was a 1,777 GRT coaster built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1900.] On the evening of 8 September 1917 she was in the North Sea steaming from Granton to London with a cargo of coal as part of a convoy. A few miles northwest of North Cheek of Robin Hood's Bay
Robin Hood's Bay is a small Yorkshire coast fishery, fishing village and a bay located in the North York Moors National Park, south of Whitby and north of Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Scarborough on the coast of North Yorkshire, England. Ba ...
the German submarine torpedoed her, killing the first mate
A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship ...
and a gunner and sinking her.[ One of the convoy's armed trawler escorts rescued her remaining crew and transferred them to a motor launch that landed them at Whitby.][
* SS ''Ocean'' was a 1,442 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. for Lambert Bros. Ltd. of London in 1894 and Cory had subsequently bought from her first owners.] On 23 November 1917 the German submarine SM ''UB-21'' torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Saltburn-by-the-Sea
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, commonly referred to as Saltburn, is a seaside town in Redcar and Cleveland, North Yorkshire, England, around south-east of Hartlepool and southeast of Redcar.
It lies within the historic boundaries of the North Ridi ...
.[ All her complement of 17 crew and two gunners were saved.][
* SS ''Highgate'' was a 1,780 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1899.] On 7 December 1917 she was carrying 2,380 tons of coal from the River Tyne to London when the German Type UB III submarine
The Type UB III submarine was a class of U-boat built during World War I by the German Imperial Navy.
UB III boats carried 10 torpedoes and were usually armed with either an or a deck gun. They carried a crew of 34 and had a cruising range of ...
torpedoed and sank her about off the South Cheek of Robin Hood's Bay.[ All 20 crew were rescued by a motor patrol boat and landed at Whitby.][
* SS ''The Buffs'' was a 3,431 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1917,] so named to mark Cory's connection with the regiment. However, in 1920 Cory's renamed the ship SS ''Corland''.[ She survived the First World War but was sunk in the Second World War (See below).
* SS ''Corsham'' was a 2,797 GRT cargo ship newly built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1918.] On 8 March 1918 she was steaming from London to the River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Wate ...
when the German submarine torpedoed and sank her in the North Sea off Loftus.[ 12 reached her lifeboat and five were saved from the water by motor patrol boats, but nine men were lost, mostly from ]hypothermia
Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe h ...
or drowning.[
* SS ''Crayford'' was a 1,209 GRT collier built by Blyth Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in 1911.] On 13 March 1918 she was crossing the North Sea from Methil
Methil (Scottish Gaelic: Meadhchill) is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was first recorded as "Methkil" in 1207, and belonged to the Bishop of St Andrews. Two Bronze Age cemeteries have been discovered which date the settlement as ov ...
in Scotland to Christiania (now Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
) in Norway with a cargo of coke when the German submarine torpedoed and sank her about off Skudesnes
Skudenes is a List of former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It was part of the Districts of Norway, traditional district of Haugaland. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1965. T ...
[ with the loss of the chief engineer.]
* SS ''Lady Cory-Wright'' was a 2,516 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1906. The War Department requisitioned her for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
in August 1914 as the mine carrier . On 26 March 1918 she was steaming from Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
to Malta with a cargo of mines[ when the German submarine torpedoed and sank her about or off The Lizard with the loss of 39 lives.][ Only one crew member survived.]
During the war Cory bought R. and J.H. Rea, which both expanded its tug, barge and coastal
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...
collier fleets but also gave Cory a presence in the ports of Bristol and Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
.[ After the war Cory expanded further; buying the Mercantile Lighterage Company in 1920, followed by Mellonie and Goulder of Ipswich and several other companies in 1928.][
]
Second World War
In the Second World War fuel supplies were vital to the war effort. Cory colliers sailed in coastal convoys and 13 of them were lost.[
* SS ''Corbrae'' was a 1,788 GRT coaster launched in 1935 by the ]Burntisland Shipbuilding Company
The Burntisland Shipbuilding Company was a shipbuilder and repairer in Burntisland, Fife, Scotland that was founded in 1918. In 1969 it was taken over by Robb-Caledon Shipbuilders, which in turn was nationalised in 1977 as part of British Ship ...
of Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
.[ The War Department requisitioned her into the ]Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
[ as the minesweeper HMS ''Corbrae''. After her naval service she was returned to Cory, who in 1948 sold her to new owners who renamed her ''Kinburn''.][ Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. built a new MV ''Corbrae'' for Cory in 1952.][
* SS ''Corburn'' was a 1,786 GRT coaster and ''Corbrae''s ]sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
, also launched in 1935 by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Co.[ The War Department requisitioned her into the ]Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
[ as the minesweeper HMS ''Corburn''. On 21 May 1940 a mine sank ''Corburn'' in the English Channel off ]Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
.
* SS ''Corhaven'' was a 991 GRT coaster built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1933. On 26 July 1940 she was in a convoy in the Straits of Dover
The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait (french: Pas de Calais - ''Strait of Calais''), is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel, marking the boundary between the Channel and the North Sea, separating Great Britain from continent ...
that was attacked by Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from ''Sturzkampfflugzeug'', "dive bomber") was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Con ...
dive-bombers.[ Five ships including ''Corhaven'' were sunk and five more were damaged.][
* SS ''Corbrook'' was a 1,729 GRT collier built by ]Cowpen
Cowpen is an area of Blyth, Northumberland, Blyth and former civil parish, now in the parish of Blyth in the county of Northumberland, England. It is just east of the A189 road. The Ward population taken at the united Kingdom Census 2011, ...
Drydock and Shipbuilding of Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land on ...
in 1929. She was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Cromer
Cromer ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish on the north coast of the English county of Norfolk. It is north of Norwich, north-northeast of London and east of Sheringham on the North Sea coastline.
The local government authorities are Nor ...
on 9 September 1940.[
* SS ''Corheath'' was a 1,096 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1936.] On 24 January 1941 she was off the coast of Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
en route from Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
to Blyth when she was sunk by a mine with the loss of three lives.[
* SS ''Corduff'' was a 2,345 GRT coaster built by Swan Hunter in 1923.] On 7 March 1941 the torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of se ...
''S-28'' attacked and sank her in the North Sea off Mundesley
Mundesley /ˈmʌndz.li/ is a coastal village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is north-north east of Norwich, south east of Cromer and north east of London. The village lies north-north east of the town of Nort ...
.[
* SS ''Cordene'' was a 2,345 GRT coaster built by Swan Hunter in 1924] and the sister ship of SS ''Corduff''. On 9 August 1941 enemy aircraft attacked and sank her in the North Sea off Mundesley
Mundesley /ˈmʌndz.li/ is a coastal village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is north-north east of Norwich, south east of Cromer and north east of London. The village lies north-north east of the town of Nort ...
.[
* SS ''Corfield'' was a 1,791 GRT coaster built by Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. in 1937.] She was commissioned into the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
[ as the minesweeper HMS ''Corfield''.] On 8 September 1941 she was sunk in the North Sea by a mine off Saltfleet
Saltfleet is a coastal village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately north of Mablethorpe and east of Louth.
The village is part of the civil parish of Skidbrooke with Saltfleet Haven, which had a popu ...
.[
* SS ''Corhampton'' was a 2,495 GRT collier built by S.P. Austin & Co. in 1933.] On 15 November 1941 she was en route from Hartlepool
Hartlepool () is a seaside and port town in County Durham, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Borough of Hartlepool. With an estimated population of 90,123, it is the second-largest settlement in County ...
to Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
when German aircraft bombed her in the North Sea about off Spurn
Spurn is a narrow sand tidal island located off the tip of the coast of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England that reaches into the North Sea and forms the north bank of the mouth of the Humber Estuary. It was a spit with a semi-permanent co ...
.[ She sank the following day.][
* SS ''Cormarsh'' was a 2,848 GRT collier built by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. in 1939.] On 29 November 1941 she was sunk in the North Sea by a mine off Blakeney Point
Blakeney Point (designated as Blakeney National Nature Reserve) is a national nature reserve situated near to the villages of Blakeney, Morston and Cley next the Sea on the north coast of Norfolk, England. Its main feature is a 6.4 km (4& ...
.[ Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. launched a replacement ''Cormarsh'' in 1943.][
* SS ''Cormead'' was a 2,848 GRT collier built by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. in 1939,][ the sister ship of SS ''Cormarsh''. On Christmas Day 1941 ''Cormead'' was sunk in the North Sea by a mine off ]Hopton-on-Sea
Hopton-on-Sea is a village, civil parish and seaside resort on the coast of East Anglia in the county of Norfolk. The village is south of Great Yarmouth, north-west of Lowestoft and near the UK's most easterly point, Lowestoft Ness.
The vill ...
.
* SS ''Corfen'' was a 1,848 GRT coaster. She was sunk in the North Sea by a mine off Frinton-on-Sea
Frinton-on-Sea is a seaside town and (as just Frinton) a former civil parish, now in the parish of Frinton and Walton, in the Tendring district of Essex, England. In 2018 it had an estimated population of 4,837. In 1931 the parish had a populati ...
on 3 January 1942.[ ]Hall, Russell & Company
Hall, Russell & Company, Limited was a shipbuilder based in Aberdeen, Scotland.
History
Brothers James and William Hall, Thomas Russell, a Glasgow engineer, and James Cardno Couper founded the company in 1864 to build steam engines and boile ...
of Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
built a replacement SS ''Corfen'' in 1944.[
* SS ''Corland'', formerly SS ''The Buffs'', was bombed and sunk at anchor in the North Sea off Spurn by enemy aircraft on 5 February 1942.][
* SS ''Cormount'' was a 2,841 GRT collier built by Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. in 1936.][ On 13 November 1943 she was damaged in the North Sea by a mine off ]Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh ( ) is a coastal town in the English county, county of Suffolk, England. Located to the north of the River Alde. Its estimated population was 2,276 in 2019. It was home to the composer Benjamin Britten and remains the centre of the int ...
. She was taken in tow but sank before reaching safety.[
]
Cory since 1945
The Second World War was not the end of Cory's losses at sea.
* Swan Hunter
Swan Hunter, formerly known as Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, is a shipbuilding design, engineering, and management company, based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England.
At its apex, the company represented the combined forces of three powe ...
built the 2,373 GRT collier SS ''Hopecrest'' in 1918. Cory bought her from her original owners in 1919 and renamed her SS ''Corcrest''.[ On 24 June 1949 she struck a submerged object, ran aground and was wrecked off the mouth of the ]River Deben
The River Deben is a river in Suffolk rising to the west of Debenham, though a second, higher source runs south from the parish of Bedingfield. The river passes through Woodbridge, turning into a tidal estuary before entering the North Sea at Fe ...
in Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
.[
* S.P. Austin & Co built the 2,374 GRT collier SS ''Corchester'' in 1927.] On 19 February 1956 she was en route from London to Hartlepool in rough sea, a blizzard and no visibility off the Haisboro' Light.[ The 6,986 ]Ellerman Lines
Ellerman Lines was a United Kingdom, UK cargo and passenger shipping company that operated from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. It was founded in the late 19th century, and continued to expand by acquiring smaller sh ...
cargo ship ''City of Sidney'' sliced ''Corchester'' in two through no. 1 hold and sank her.[ Eight of ''Corchester''s crew were lost, of whom six had been in her ]forecastle
The forecastle ( ; contracted as fo'c'sle or fo'c's'le) is the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or, historically, the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters. Related to the latter meaning is the phrase " be ...
accommodation.[ Survivors were rescued by another Cory ship, SS ''Cormull''.][
After the war, Cory began mining the stone needed for aggregates to rebuild parts of ]London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and putting them on empty barges
Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by Pusher (boat) ...
. The holes left in the ground became landfills
A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the waste ...
in Erith
Erith () is an area in south-east London, England, east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the historical county of Kent. Since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Bexley. It lies nort ...
and East Tilbury
East Tilbury is a village and former civil parish in the unitary authority of Thurrock borough, Essex, England, and one of the traditional Church of England parishes in Thurrock. In 1931 the parish had a population of 353.
History
In Saxon ti ...
. This was the start of Cory’s transition from moving fuel to transporting waste and building materials.
During the post-war period, Cory also began transporting fuel oil as well as coal following the introduction of the Clean Air Act in 1956. By the 1950s Cory was transporting and supplying fuel oil as well as coal.[ In 1956 Cory started to develop a fleet of barges designed specifically to carry refuse rather than coal.][ Cory had its own barge-building yard, which produced more than 400 such vessels between 1962 and 1972.][ Oil-fired central heating grew in popularity such that by 1972 Cory was supplying per year to domestic customers.][
In the 1960s and 1970s William Cory was operating general and refrigerated road haulage out of Palmers Wharf, ]Deptford
Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...
. The colours were white with the black lozenge. Later on it was taken over by Ocean and renamed McGregor Cory Cargo Services and the vehicles became red. They gradually got involved with the emerging container traffic and worked for OCL who were taking over refrigerated imports from New Zealand and Australia. As containers were mostly arriving in Tilbury docks, MCCS moved to Thurrock and Barking, Essex. This was the final end of the link with Deptford
In 1972 Ocean Group plc
Ocean Group plc was a major British transport business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
History
The company was founded by Alfred Holt and Philip Holt, as the ''Ocean Steamship Company'', ...
bought Cory,[ which then acquired Surridge, which owned Mucking Marshes Landfill, then the second-largest landfill site in the UK. In 1979 Cory bought Thames and General Lighterage, making Cory the largest waste carrier on the Thames.][ In the 1980s Cory withdrew from coal and oil distribution to concentrate on waste transport and disposal.] In 1981 two Cory group companies were merged to form Cory Waste Management. It won a tender to transport and dispose of half a million tonnes of waste a year for the Greater London Council
The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 198 ...
. This saw the launch of the containerised waste transportation business that operates today. Cory Environmental Municipal Services Ltd was formed in 1989 and the two companies were merged as Cory Environmental in 1990.[ At this stage, ]London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
was producing 29 million tonnes of waste per year and disposing only 400,000 tonnes of it within its own boundaries. By the late 1990s, Mucking
Mucking is a hamlet and former Church of England parish adjoining the Thames Estuary in southern Essex, England. It is located approximately south of the town of Stanford-le-Hope in what is now Thurrock unitary authority. In 1931 the parish had ...
landfill site was receiving 1.5 million tonnes of London’s waste.
In 1997 Cory Environmental grew by buying Local Authority Waste Disposal Companies from Essex County Council
Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. It has 75 councillors, elected from 70 divisions, and is currently controlled by the Conservative Party. The council meets at County Hall ...
and Gloucestershire County Council
Gloucestershire County Council is a county council which administers the most strategic local government services in the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire, in the South West of England.
The council's principal functions are county road ...
. In 1999 Cory bought Parkhill Reclamation, increasing Cory's presence in the West Midlands and North West England.[ Since 2000, Cory’s operations have focused on waste management.] It signed a long-term contract with London's Western Riverside Waste Authority
Greater London has a number of waste disposal authorities, responsible for waste collection and disposal. Prior to the abolition of the Greater London Council in 1986, it was the waste authority for Greater London.
Joint authorities
There are ...
in 2002, which included the development of an 84,000 tonnes-per-annum materials recycling facility in Wandsworth
Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan
The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Gre ...
.
In 2000 Ocean Group plc
Ocean Group plc was a major British transport business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
History
The company was founded by Alfred Holt and Philip Holt, as the ''Ocean Steamship Company'', ...
merged with NFC plc to form Exel plc, which in 2005 sold Cory Environmental to Montagu Private Equity. In March 2007 Montagu sold Cory to a consortium of investors consisting of ABN Amro Global Infrastructure Fund, Finpro SGPS and Santander Private Equity.[
In 2010, ]Mucking
Mucking is a hamlet and former Church of England parish adjoining the Thames Estuary in southern Essex, England. It is located approximately south of the town of Stanford-le-Hope in what is now Thurrock unitary authority. In 1931 the parish had ...
stopped receiving London’s waste and was later reclaimed for community and environmental use to create the Thurrock Thameside Nature Discovery Park.
In 2012, Cory Environmental was awarded an eight-year contract to provide the waste collection services throughout the county of Cornwall, and opened the Riverside 1 energy from waste
Waste-to-energy (WtE) or energy-from-waste (EfW) is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste, or the processing of waste into a fuel source. WtE is a form of energy recovery. Mo ...
(EfW) facility, one of the UK's largest EfW facilities, in Belvedere, Kent. In 2020, Cory secured planning permission to develop the Riverside Energy Park.
In June 2015, it was announced that Biffa
Biffa plc is a waste management company headquartered in High Wycombe, England. It provides collection, landfill, recycling and special waste services to local authorities and industrial and commercial clients in the United Kingdom. , it was the U ...
had bought the Cory waste collection business, Cory Environmental Municipal Services Limited, for £13.5 million. In 2016, the company was rebranded as Cory Riverside Energy. In 2017, the business completed a major restructure and refinance, having sold its collections, waste brokerage and landfill businesses. and in 2021 it was rebranded simply as Cory.
See also
*List of incinerators in the UK
The following is a list of incinerators in the UK that treat municipal waste:
Operating
* Allerton waste recovery park, North Yorkshire
* Allington Quarry Waste Management Facility
* Ardley ERF
* Baldovie WtE (Dundee)
Beddington Energy Recovery F ...
*Waste authorities in Greater London
Greater London has a number of waste disposal authorities, responsible for waste collection and disposal. Prior to the abolition of the Greater London Council in 1986, it was the waste authority for Greater London.
Joint authorities
There are fo ...
*List of waste management companies
Although many entries in this List of waste management companies are Multinational corporations, the associated country listing is by location of ''Management HQ''.
Companies
See also
*LAWDC In the UK a local authority waste disposal company ...
References
Sources
*
*{{Cite book , last=Talbot-Booth , first=E.C. , orig-year=1936 , year=1942 , title=Ships and the Sea , edition=Seventh , publisher=Sampson Low
Sampson Low (18 November 1797 – 16 April 1886) was a bookseller and publisher in London in the 19th century.
Early years
Born in London in 1797, he was the son of Sampson Low, printer and publisher, of Berwick Street, Soho. He served a short ...
, Marston & Co. Ltd , location=London , page=611, plate 88
Waste management companies of the United Kingdom
Recycling in the United Kingdom
Shipping companies of the United Kingdom
Companies based in the London Borough of Islington
Renewable resource companies established in 1896
Transport companies established in 1896
British companies established in 1896
1896 establishments in England