The Ipswich Dock aerial image (19412961574)

The Ipswich Docks, Ipswich wet dock and the wet dock,) are a series docks in

Port of Ipswich The Port of Ipswich can be dated to c.625. The name Ipswich was originally Gippeswyc, referring to the River Gyppes with a suffix derived from the Scandinavian term vik, which had evolved from meaning bay or inlet to mean landing-place, followin ...

located at a bend of the

River Orwell The River Orwell flows through the county of Suffolk in England from Ipswich to Felixstowe. Above Ipswich, the river is known as the River Gipping, but its name changes to the Orwell at Stoke Bridge, where the river becomes tidal. It broadens in ...

which has been used for trade since at least the 8th Century. A

wet dock Wet may refer to: * Moisture, the condition of containing liquid or being covered or saturated in liquid * Wetting (or wetness), a measure of how well a liquid sticks to a solid rather than forming a sphere on the surface Wet or WET may also refe ...

was constructed in 1842 which was 'the biggest enclosed dock in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

' at the time. A major regeneration of the area has taken place since 1999.

History

Initial work

Henry Davy (1839) First Stone of Ipswich Dock

. In 1837 an

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of parliame ...

allowed the Ipswich Dock Commissioners to construct a new

whilst also placing certain conditions on them. In addition to building the wet dock and providing a diversion for the river Orwell along a 'New Cut' to the west of the dock the commissioners were to allow ''all persons, with cattle and carriages, may thereby have free access to the dock and quays and the sides of the said new cut and channel'' and also to ''contribute to the health and recreation of the inhabitants f Ipswich'. The Ipswich Dock Commission was provided with investment of £25,000 and the right to borrow a further £100,000 but needed a further loan of £20,000 and also an additional levy of six pence per tonne on all imported coal to fund the project. The dock opened in 1842; the original lock gates entered the dock from the New Cut opposite Felaw Street. The new

custom house A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting ...

(now known as the 'Old Custom House') was completed in 1845. The development attracted new industries to the dock area such as the

coprolite A coprolite (also known as a coprolith) is fossilized feces. Coprolites are classified as trace fossils as opposed to body fossils, as they give evidence for the animal's behaviour (in this case, diet) rather than morphology. The name is ...

factory founded by Edward Packard in 1849. This factory gave its name to

Coprolite Street Coprolite Street is a street in Ipswich, Suffolk in the Waterfront area. It runs from Duke Street to Neptune Marina, the former Orwell Quay. It was named after the factory which processed coprolite, or fossilised faeces, near Ipswich Docks The ...

in the docks area.

Renovation following 1877 Act

The Ipswich Docks Act of 1877 allowed for the construction of a new lock in their present position to facilitate access to the dock and allow trams to operate along the length of the 'Island' between New Cut and the dock. The new lock gates were constructed by the time of the 1898 Act which authorised the construction of a swing bridge. Ipswich Docks Act of 1913 allowed for the construction of ''a new entrance to the docks comprising inner and outer gates and a swing bridge, a quay and various tramways'' and also allowed for the 'stopping off' of various

rights of way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

. There was however a condition that work had to be completed within 10 years and following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

an extension was granted by an Act of Parliament in 1918.

1950-1973

The Ipswich Dock Act 1971 authorised the development of the West Bank to allow

ro-ro Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...

ships to dock. The Ipswich Dock Commission was reconstituted as the Ipswich Port Authority in 1973 when the first stage of the development was completed, further work was carried out in 1977 and 1979 and then again in 1998.

Legislation

*Ipswich Dock Act 1837 Suffolk County Council (2009a), para 17 *Ipswich Dock Act 1852 *Ipswich Dock Act 1877 Suffolk County Council (2009a), para 19 *Ipswich Dock Act 1898 Suffolk County Council (2009a), para 20 *Ipswich Dock Act 1913 *Ipswich Dock Act 1918 Suffolk County Council (2009a), para 22 *Ipswich Dock Revision Order 1969 (Statutory Instrument 1969/1521) *Ipswich Dock Act 1971 Suffolk County Council (2009a), para 25

Ipswich Dock Commission

Many notable local individuals were Dock Commissioners.

References

{{reflist Port of Ipswich