Trow Rocks

Local History for Tyne & Wear
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brian c
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Trow Rocks

Post by brian c »

Does ayone remember the wreckage the you could see on trow rocks at low tide until the 60's, I believe it was the remauns of a pair of dock gates that were being towed and broke adrift during a storn and grounded on the rocks.

Also could anyone explain why there is a gun mounted on the cliff top above trow rocks, is it something to do with the sea cadets?
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Post by jimmywizz »

Brian the gun was one of its first in its time, it was rasied up to fire by a clever idea the used pumped in water then its was dropped back down so the enemy could not shoot back at it
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Post by brian c »

But why would the enemy want to attack Trow Rocks :?: :? :?
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Post by captain beefheart »

The wrecked gates were i believe being towed to Sunderland when they broke loose and sunk, they are one of many wrecks in that area and a lot were sunk just off the piers duing the 1st and 2nd war due to u boat action. The area around trow rocks and other bits of the coast were well fortified during the war, there was a huge gun emplacement at frenchmans bay as well as the one at trow rocks, also all the high points such as blackberry and cleadon hills had smaller fortifications, also on the pier side of the rocks was a concrete ramp that sunderland flying boats were launched for coastal defence.
i don't think the guns were used seriously as the german navy was not active in the north sea during the 2nd war and i am not sure if they were there for the 1st one.
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Post by jimmywizz »

the gun i think dates before the 1st world war, more of a problem with the frogs i think then the germans
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Post by Podgy Pete »

I dont think the French tried to invade Trow Rocks ?
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Post by brian c »

I don't see why not, they tried it just about everyware else, not that they had much success because every time they got a bit uppity the Royal Navy give gave them a good kicking for there troubles.

If they did try and invade trow rocks it would just need half a dozen matelots to stand round the gun and shout "BANG" and the frogs would b****r off.
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Post by jimmywizz »

found this

Coast Defence

4-inch B.L. Coast Defence Gun.
1887 Mk. V & 1889 Mk. VI Close defence gun fitted on Carriage, Garrison B.L. Vavasseur Mk.I. A small number were mounted on a special travelling carriage with wooden ground platform (for 6ft. Parapet) for use as 'Movable Armament of Forts' .
It was proposed to mount one experimentally in the Trow Rock Floating (disappearing) Platform in 1885. At that time there was not a suitable land service carriage for it.
5-inch B.L. of 38 cwt. Mk.II
Non-chasehooped (N) and chasehooped (C) versions.
5-inch B.L. 40 cwt. Mk. III to V & B.L.C.
On 40 pr. R.M.L. carriage.
First used as coast defence, but rarely in this country, on sliding Vavasseur Mk.I, II or III mountings. Many were mounted in the colonies, Australia and South Africa. Some appear in the Armament returns for the Plymouth Forts 1898 probably on 6 feet parapet travelling carriages.
Some 5-inch B.L.s were mounted on travelling Hydropneumatic siege disappearing carriages, 8 feet parapet, for India only.
5.5 inch B.L. of 6 tons
Pedestal mounting.
6-inch B.L. of 5 tons
Barbette sliding Mk. I, I* or II, Vavasseur central pivot or H.P. disappearing mounting. Backbone of coast defence from 1880s to 1956.
Mk. IV 1885.
Mk. VI 1889. Vavasseur Central Pivot Mk.1 or Barbette Carriage Mk.1
Mk. VI 1894. Barbette Carriage Mk.2. Mk 6 and all carriages were declared obsolete in 1913. Later marks were introduced.
6-inch B.L. of 7 tons
Mk. VII 1898. Central Pivot Mk.2 with Pure Couple single motion breech mechanism and Welin breech screw.
Mk. IX on B.L. Central Pivot Mk. IIIA
Mk X on B.L. Central Pivot Mk. IIIB
6-inch B.L.C.
on B.L. Central Pivot Mk. IV
One experimental 6-inch B.L. Mark IV on Vavasseur mounting was fitted to the Trow Rock Floating (disappearing) Platform in 1887.
Some Mk. 4, 5 & 6 coast defence guns were mounted on Disappearing Hydropneumatic Carriages.
6-inch B.L. E.O.C. Mk V
only 7 in the service.
6-inch B.L.C. 5 tons
Introduced 1902. Some were converted to siege mountings in 1914.
7.5-inch B.L. 14 tons Mk. I & II
Introduced early 1900s on barbette sliding Mk. I mounting for India. It is said that two were mounted on H.P. carriages at Bombay.
8-inch B.L. E.O.C. Mk VII of 12 tons & VIIA of 13 tons
Only 4 in land service, no others.
9.2-inch B.L. of 22 tons Mk. I C & U.C.
Developed from 1879. Standard coast defence guns up to 1951
9.2-inch B.L. of 23 tons Mk. IV, IVA C. & IVA U.C.
9.2-inch B.L. of 22 tons Mk. VI, VIA & VIC
9.2-inch B.L. of 22 tons Mk. VIB
9.2-inch B.L. of 27 tons Mk. I
1899-1900 first mounted in H.M.S. Drake.
brought up to Mk. 10 standards in 1910.
9. 2-inch B.L. of 28 tons Mk X & Xv
Barbette sliding Mk I, IA,IB, II, III, IV or V high angle or H.P. disappearing mountings Mk. I & II .
Mk.X 1899 Land version on Mk. 5 mounting for 6.6 inch parapet.
10-inch B.L. of 32 tons Mk. I
10-inch B.L. of 29 tons Mk II, IIA, III, IIIA & IV
Coast defence gun on Barbette sliding Mk I, II or III or H.P. disappearing mountings, Mk.1, 1A, II & III.
All 10-inch B.L. declared obsolete 1925.
10.4-inch B.L. of 26 tons.
This experimental gun was used to test the cupola mounting. Ordered 1879. It was intended to fit them to the Spithead forts. Entered service as 10-inch of 28 tons.
12-inch B.L Coast Defence gun (Spithead)
This gun was fitted to the forts of Spithead, No Mans Land and Horse Sand using a Yoke mounting. Tested in1881.
Mk. 1, 1A - 47 tons, Mk. 6, 7 - 46 tons
12-inch B.L. of 46 tons Mk. VI, VII & VIII
Tynemouth (Turret) Approved 1918.
Mk. 8 V (Vickers)
Mk. 8 E (Elswick)
13.5-inch B.L. of 69 tons. Mk I to IV
Although it was approved for mounting in some of the larger fortresses, this was rather heavy for the requirements. It was proposed to mount this gun on a hydraulic disappearing mounting. One only was mounted at Plymouth.
15 inch of 100 tons
Barbette mounting.


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Post by Bigz »

WTF?
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Trow Rocks

Post by baldy.smith »

That is exactly what I thought it was Jimmy but I think I got one of the specs wrong :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Post by brian c »

fine----but what colour was it :?:
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Post by brian c »

Of course jimmy you must realise you've compromised our whole coastal defence system to the enemy :!: :shock: :shock:
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Post by curly »

Surely the gun that is there now is just a replica?

The old dock gates have collapsed on their side and are only just visible on a very low tide.
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Post by jimmywizz »

ooops
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gun on cliff tops

Post by lynn »

hi i remember the ship wreck and the gun on the top i think it was off when they used to defend the land from the danes???????
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Post by Jerry »

I was told that the dock gates were a good place to catch conger eels.


A gun would have been handy against the Danes in Bede's time. Interestingly during the English Civil War, Christian IV of Denmark, brother-in-law of our Charles I, offered cash and armour in exchange for Newcastle and the coal-rich areas around. Charles accepted and Christian did his part. Charles didn't hand over the territory, however, possibly being in no position to do so. Nobody else did either, so unless it was a no-win-no-fee arrangement, Geordieland technically belongs to Denmark. Do they still want us?

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Post by memor »

I'd say YES Someone ask them to take over the North EaST

AT least we'd be able to have a decent drop of beer (Carlsberg) than the

gnats urine that Scottish and Newcastle supply.
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Trow Rocks

Post by urfa »

Hi Jerry, the world warll armenments at Trow Rocks andFrenchmens Fort.
on Trow rocks and also the south side of the south pier were machine gun concrete bunker nests designed to set up a cross fire on any invasion barges landing on big haven beach, (God help us) there was also a two storied obersavation look out on the cliff point at the south end of the Trow Rock now washed away At the Frenchmans Fort site also on the cliff tops were anti aircraft guns and a search light battery. On recent visit back home I saw the gun that is there now and where that came from I have no idea, and the anti aircraft gun emplacement was filled in long ago, in the future I can imagine archologists having fun there digging it up and visulising what was there, much like they are doing now with the Roman Fort, Arbeia. Best wishes, Urfa
G,day from down under, I am an expat from s.s. many years ago, this is a great site keep the good work up Matt
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