The Fleet in Captain's Wharfe

Captain's Wharfe is the name of an  up-market housing development surrounding a former dry dock in South Shields, England. The name is now often applied to the dock itself which is the home of an amazing sculpture  of sailing ships by  Irene Brown. The dock was opened in 1956 with the intention of it being able to deal with the largest oil tankers in use at the time. The company went out of business  in 1982 (after a period of public ownership). The area has now been  severely  "gentrified" including the inland end of the dock being separated off, by a very low bridge, to house the sculptural installation known as "Fleet" which is a group of 7 stainless steel "models" of local collier brigs which used to carry coal from Tyneside down the east coast to London and also across the North Sea. In 1890 over 9000 cargoes of coal were carried to London in such vessels.

 The ships appear to be floating in the isolated pool of water, The design of the vessels  is the same that  being held by  a fantastic bronze  statue  (also by Irene Brown) known as   'Spirit of South Shields', and also  identical to the weathervane on top of South Shields Town Hall. The vessels are really representative  of the majority of marine trade from the Tyne during the 19th century. The brightly polished vessels are said to: " reflect patterns of both moving sky and water and give the impression of a fleet heading out to sea". The installation  was completed in 2009 and was commissioned  by South Tyneside  District Council.