One of Europe's oldest dry docks to close after 190 years

Isles of Scilly Steamship Group said it was closing the dock at the end of May

One of Europe's oldest dry docks is set to close at the end of May after nearly 190 years of operation.

Penzance Dry Dock in Cornwall was among the first of its kind in Europe after opening in 1834.

The dock is leased by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group which confirmed it is pulling out.

When contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the dock confirmed that it is closing but declined to give further information.

Penzance Dry Dock in Cornwall has been in operation since 1834

'Core operations'

In a statement the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group said it was "regretfully" making the decision to close.

It said: "In 2019, the company decided to focus on its core operations of transporting passengers and freight by sea and air."

The group confirmed 11 workers would be affected by the move, "around half" of which would be moved to other areas of the business.

Around half of the dock's 11 workers will be moved to other areas of the business

On its website Penzance Dry Dock states: "Since 1834, the marine engineers at Europe's oldest dry dock have been known for their outstanding attention to detail, good humour and sound, down-to-earth advice."

It continues: "Since 1834 Penzance Dry Dock has offered engineering services to vessels of all sizes, at the corner of one of Europe's busiest shipping lanes. Today the facility is part of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group: one of Cornwall's biggest employers."