After the British Army moved to nearby Spike Island in 1806, fourteen acres at Haulbowline went to the Royal Navy and eight to the Board of Ordnance. Land reclamation eventually enlarged the island from roughly 22 acres to about 86, giving the base its rectilinear outline. A large basin followed in the 1860s, with a 124-metre dry dock that was extended to about 180 metres just before the First World War. Hospital, ordnance, storage, and small-vessel facilities supported the dock. The navy created usable repair capacity by reshaping the site itself.
Notable Point · 27:35-30:58
Haulbowline expanded an island to build repair capacity
The Royal Navy expanded Haulbowline from about 22 acres to roughly 86 acres, creating an industrial island around its basin and graving dock.