The Lagan Weir, completed in 1994, is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland and crosses the River Lagan between the Queen Elizabeth Bridge and the M3 cross-harbour bridge. The £14m project was jointly funded by the Laganside Corporation and the European Commission. It was designed by Ferguson and McIlveen and constructed by Charles Brand Ltd.
Planning for the weir commenced as early as 1988. The Prince of Wales was involved in the ceremonial setting of the first pile for the weir on 7 March 1991. The floating crane Mersey Mammoth lifted the five 32 tonne weir gates into position in May 1992. The weir gates measure 18 metres by 5 metres and were manufactured by Harland & Wolff. The Weir was officially opened in March 1994.
The project included the “Lagan Lookout” on the Donegall Quay side of the river. This houses a visitors centre which has an exhibition to provide information on the function of the weir and the history of the River Lagan. The weir gate control centre, security, CCTV system and welfare facilities for River Management personnel are located on the ground floor. Equipment storage is located in the basement.
The Lagan Weir consists of five weir gates and four intermediate gatehouses. A tunnel traverses under the River Lagan, which connects to both quaysides and to each of the gatehouses. Primarily, this provides access to the gatehouses for maintaining the weir gate motors.
The five weir gates can each be operated independently. They are usually raised as the tide retreats in order to keep the river at a specific impoundment level. The gate operations are controlled by the River Manager. Without the weir, the river would be subject to tidal fluctuations. The tidal range is typically up to three metres between high and low tide, but the maximum tidal range can be as much as four metres. Prior to the building of the weir, low tide would expose mudflats, which were unsightly and emitted a strong odour, particularly in the summer months. On occasion, at high tide, the weir can operate as a barrage. If the river level is too high this can have such negative effects as causing erosion of the river banks, reduce air draft for vessels needing to pass under any of the river’s road bridges and in extreme cases, increase the risk of flooding to low areas.
Construction of the weir, installation of an underwater aeration system and maintenance dredging has led to environmental improvements in terms of water quality and biodiversity. Dredging was carried out at the same time as the construction of the weir. Subsequent dredging was completed in 2010/2011 and 2019/2020. Development along the riverside has included construction of new residential towers, commercial and retail blocks, restaurants, and improved public towpaths,
To be honest I found this to be more interesting than the Titanic.
HMS Caroline is a decommissioned C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy that saw combat service in the First World War and served as an administrative centre in the Second World War. Caroline was launched and commissioned in 1914. At the time of her decommissioning in 2011 she was the second-oldest ship in Royal Navy service, after HMS Victory. She served as a static headquarters and training ship for the Royal Naval Reserve, based in Alexandra Dock, Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the later stages of her career. She was converted into a museum ship. From October 2016 she underwent inspection and repairs to her hull at Harland and Wolff and opened to the public on 1 July 2017 at Alexandra Dock in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast.
Caroline was the last remaining British First World War light cruiser in service, and she is the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland still afloat. She is also one of only three surviving Royal Navy warships of the First World War, along with the 1915 monitor HMS M33 (in Portsmouth dockyard), and the Flower-class sloop HMS President, (formerly HMS Saxifrage) usually moored on the Thames at Blackfriars but as from February 2016, in Number 3 Basin, Chatham.
Caroline is listed as part of the National Historic Fleet. On her decommissioning, she was placed into the care of the National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth, though remaining moored in her position in Alexandra Dock in Belfast. Although no longer capable of making way under her own power, Caroline remains afloat and in excellent condition. Buffeting from waves and high winds have caused the ship to almost come away from her moorings several times. In 2005, during a storm, she ripped several huge bollards out of the jetty concrete, but failed to break free entirely. She was not normally open to tourists, although entrance was gained during the annual RMS Titanic celebrations.
Upon Caroline’s decommissioning in 2011, her future was uncertain. Proposals were made to return the ship to her First World War appearance, which among other things would have involved sourcing and installing 6-inch (152.4 mm) and 4-inch (102 mm) guns of that era and removing the large deckhouse from her midships deck. One proposal considered was to remain in Belfast as a museum ship within the Titanic Quarter development alongside SS Nomadic. Another was a move to Portsmouth, with many of her original fittings restored to return her as much as possible to her First World War appearance.
In June 2012 plans to move Caroline to Portsmouth were announced, subject to the availability of funding. However, in October 2012 the Northern Ireland government announced that the ship would remain in Belfast and that the National Heritage Memorial Fund had pledged £1,000,000 to help to restore her. In May 2013 the Heritage Lottery Fund announced an £845,600 grant to support conversion work as a museum.
In October 2014, the Heritage Lottery Fund announced a £12 million lottery funding boost to enable the National Museum of the Royal Navy to turn Caroline into a visitor attraction in time for centenary commemorations of the 1916 Battle of Jutland. Caroline remains moored in the Alexandra Dock in the Titanic Quarter in Belfast.
In June 2016, HMS Caroline was opened to the public as a museum ship and forms part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy
You must be logged in to post a comment.