TITANIC
DOCK & PUMP HOUSE
Thompson Drydock - Footprint of History
It
is the last remaining physical spot where the Titanic actually stood.
Standing on the edge, looking down into the concrete gash in
the earth, the dry dock where she was outfitted for her first and only
voyage into legend, offers a breathtaking impression of the scale of
the most famous ship, now a lost ghost. While the Titanic Experience
opened in 2012 (see Titanic
Experience Belfast) offers
a virtual exploration of the ship, the Titanic's Dock and Pumphouse,
a short distance away on Queens Island, offers a look at the reality.
Officially,
the Thompson Graving Dock was where all the ships of the Harland
and Wolff shipyards, where Titanic was built, were rigged and
outfitted. Here stood the sister ships of the White Star Line, the
Britannic and Olympic as well as Titanic. The hulls of the ships were
constructed a quarter mile away, launched into the waters of the Belfast
Lough as bare hulls and superstructure and towed to drydock, where
all the fittings ship, from porthole windows to curtains and silverware
were added to make what we recognize as a ship. It was here at the
dry dock, the Grand Stairway where the fictional Jack and Rose were
reunited was added to the bare hull. The associated Pump House was
to pump the water from the dock for the work to progress. The keel
of the ship rested on man-sized keel blocks of iron and wood, each
weighing four and a half tons, which still remain in the bottom of
the dry dock, essentially as they were the day Titanic floated out
to her sea trials in 1912. Titanic was so big it didn’t completely
fit into the dock and the massive Caisson Gate to close off the water
had to be extended to make her fit. As ship building at Harland and
Wolff moved to the more modern dockyard with its signature cranes,
Samson and Goliath, the titanic site remains as it was built in 1911,
when it was the largest dry dock in the world.
Guided
tours of the site given by real “Titanaracs”, (the
local term for Titanic enthusiasts), are offered daily, giving a personal
look and in-depth understanding of the history of the dock and the
lore of the Titanic. Inside the 100 year old Pump House from the Edwardian
age are the massive pumping engines, as if ready to roar to life, and
the Visitor Centre presents an audio visual experience of the history
of Belfast shipbuilding from the 1600s up to the launch of the Titanic
and her sisters. Paintings and prints of maritime themes from Irish
Artists are available for purchase along with plenty of Titanic souvenirs
and the café offers a spot for a snack.
Visiting the Titanic’s Drydock & Pumphouse
The dock is located a mile from the Odyssey Arena on Queens Road, about a 15 minute walk, (10 minutes from the Titanic Experience). Access to the pump-house and close up view of the dry dock are only available on a tour. Tours are given 7 day a week once every hour from 11am to 3pm. Cost is £6 for adults, £4 children from 5-16 and under 5 free. A family ticket for 2 adults and 2 kids is £15. The tour lasts about 45 minutes. Located next to the Pump House site is the HMS Caroline, WWI era naval ship (though you can only look through the fencing. Parking is free with validation from the tour or shop. By public transit, the Metro 26 runs from Donegal Square West in Belfast City Center. © Bargain Travel Europe
For a walking tour of the entire Titanic Quarter and sites you can try the Walking Tour
Find best travel deals in Northern Ireland on TripAdvisor
Web
Info
Titanic's
Dock
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SEE ALSO:
ULSTER TRANSPORT MUSEUM - TITANICA EXHIBIT
BELFAST WAR MEMORIAL & HOME FRONT EXHIBIT
GAME OF THRONES LOCATIONS TOUR
NOMADIC BELFAST - TENDER TO TITANIC
HMS CAROLINE WWI CRUISER BELFAST
