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Alastair:
Thank you Stuart and Lutonman for your kind welcome to the Forum.
With regards to the Deal Naval Yard, little is known but here is a bit of what I do know.
There was originally a small yard, no-one is sure where, inland from the sea. In 1696 the yard was deemed to be entirely inadequate and a new, bigger yard was built in 1703. It contained a large brick storehouse, a house for the storekeeper, three boathouses, five capstans, sheds, offices and a brewing house.
It occupied the land immediately north of the Timeball Tower, where the gates were, up to Deal Castle Road and down to Victoria Road. The purpose was to service the Royal Naval ships that were stationed in the Downs. At that time we were at war with France.
The yard developed and grew - guard houses, mast houses, blacksmith's, cordage and sail stores. sawpits, cooperage, victualling yard and engine house.
It closed in 1863 and the land was developed into the residential site it is today, then called Victoria Town. The Captain of the Yard lived in an imposing Georgian house that stood on the site of the Bus Station.
Regards
Alastair

stuartwaters:
Hi Alastair and welcome along. I couldn't agree more with your statement about the old Forum. It's loss was indeed a tragedy. Some of the information on there is still retrievable using the "Wayback Machine", but that's very hit and miss and articles on there take a lot of time and patience to find.


The history of Deal is interesting and I hope to visit the Deal Museum once Boris lets us out to play. I'm especially interested in the Downs Anchorage and the Naval Yard which used to support the warships assembled there.

Lutonman:
Welcome to you Alastair

Alastair:
Greetings, Everyone.
New member, originally from the old forum and just found that this one exists. Very pleased it does.
The tragedy of losing the old forum is the loss of all the information on there.
Anyway, I hope to make a contribution to this one.
Lived 50 odd years in Kent but now live in Cornwall. This place doesn't have the historic attraction for me that Kent did. I spent many years researching things that took my fancy - history of Deal and its families, White Cliffs gun batteries, etc.
Kind Regards
Alastair

Dave Smith:
Castle. I too am intrigued by shortbros. Was he "just passing" I wonder? There can't be many people left who worked there, so if he is still in contact, please own up & write a few lines.

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