Woodnutt

In 1899, Alfred Westmacott formed a new boatbuilding and engineering firm, Westmacott Stewart & Co, with premises on the Duver at the site of an established yard, Kirby Bowen. After three years Westmacott formed a new company to run the yard and to buy out the old-established sailmaking business of Woodnutt. The new firm, Woodnutt & Co designed and built craft and marine engines, continued sailmaking and established a chandlery store.  Seaview Mermaids, Sunbeams, Victorys and X-One Designs were all designed and built by the remarkable Alfred Westmacott. After the war Woodnutts closed their St. Helens’ yard and moved to Warsash (where they suffered a disastrous fire), and finally sold out and closed down.  In the course of these events many of their records were lost or destroyed. A year before WW II began, Woodnutts built the prototype Fairmile ML. During the war, employing about 200 workers, they built 26 Fairmile classes A, B, C and D fast patrol boats. The timber was pre-cut on the mainland. They also built the Uffa Fox designed Airborne Lifeboats which were carried underneath aircraft and dropped by means of drogue chutes into the sea. These ingenious boats saved the lives of over 600 Allied airmen during WWII. The other yards in the harbour were involved by either sub-contract from Woodnutts or by their employees moving over to Woodnutts to work.