A history to be proud of

In June 2007, the DML Group was purchased by the Babcock International Group, the largest support provider to the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence. This gives DEVONPORT financial stability. Babcock has a turnover in excess of £900 million and has contracts and projects already placed for the next 10 years.

What made the group such an attractive investment was our experience, expertise and proud heritage. Devonport dockyard was commissioned by William of Orange in 1690.

For generations, the dockyard was run by the Government and worked exclusively for the Royal Navy. But with the Navy's fleet changing and the ships built lasting for decades, it became clear that the dockyard no longer needed to dedicate itself solely to military work.

The dockyard's transformation

Instead, the decision was made to open up Devonport's facility and the skills of its workforce to commercial organisations. Since 1990, the group has focused its attentions increasingly on the superyacht market, where the skills we offer can be of most value. Early projects included refits and rebuilds of some of the world's most famous yachts, such as HMY Britannia (126 metres) and MY Talitha G (82.6 metres).

Following the signing of two new build contracts of 50 and 77 metres, the company strengthened its position with the acquisition of the highly respected Appledore shipyard. This not only consolidated DEVONPORT's position as a leading Northern European shipyard, but also provided the additional skills, manpower and facilities for DEVONPORT to implement a staggered build schedule, within which four superyachts between 70 and 120 metres can be at various stages of production at any one time.

DEVONPORT today

Today Devonport Dockyard is a highly commercial operation, at the forefront of superyacht building - all in all, a very different place to the small yard which had been originally built on the orders of King William the Third three centuries ago.
DEVONPORT - part of the maritime history of Plymouth How our history shapes our approach See some of our work