Military Sites 1 – Naval Base Mansions

In 1903, the Admiralty purchased land at Rosyth to turn St Margaret’s Hope into a new naval base and dockyard.
Hundreds of tradesmen arrived to work on the enormous building site; they all had to be housed.

The problem was partly resolved when the Naval Base Mansions (the Comfort Store today) were built at Jamestown in 1909.

The building was designed by Kirkcaldy architect William Williamson, and built by J A Mactaggart and Co of Glasgow, using reinforced concrete in the Hennebique construction technique. As well as being economic, this method provided the required fire-resistance for the high-occupancy building, which housed 600 labourers.

The most noteworthy feature of the building at the time was the recreational hall which measured 39m long and 10m wide without intermediary supports of any kind; the entire building offers 3344 square metres of accommodation across 3-storeys and basement, in an 11-bay U-plan.

The modern history of Jamestown is closely associated with this building.

The large number of dockyard workers, many of whom were Irish migrants, led to the naming of Shamrock Terrace, the tenements directly across from the Mansions.

A Roman Catholic chapel was also established temporarily to accommodate the new inhabitants whose presence would have increased the local population by somewhere between one third and a half.

Other accommodation sites were explored . . .

Dundee Courier
13th September 1909
2300 men may be employed at Naval Base.
Big scheme for the erection of houses

An indication of the extent the work at the Rosyth Naval Base is given in a letter which has been received by Mr J.R. Menzies, town clerk at Inverkeithing, from Mr Robert Knaggs, manager of the Tilbury Dredging and Contracting Company, Ferry Toll. He stated that along with two of his Directors he considered the question of erecting about forty houses on a feu at Ferry Toll, as immediately the Naval Base started they might employ about 2300 men. The directors were afraid they might find difficulty in finding houses for men and suggested that the Town of Inverkeithing permit his firm to demolish the old brickwork at Cruicks, and utilise the bricks, &c., for the erection of cottages. It is understood that the Inverkeithing Councillors were of opinion that the proposal should be agreed to, with certain stipulations.

. . . including temporary accommodation on a ship.

Sites were explored in Crombie, Limekilns and North Queensferry

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