Brief History of Shotley Mast.
It was laid down in the training Regulations at this time (1905) that in all Boys Training Establishments ‘a mast should be provided to accustom boys to go aloft’.
Every morning in the old wooden walls, the boys had had to climb the ratlines bare-footed, cross the half moon and down the other side at top speed, for exercise.

This practice continued on board H.M.S. Ganges & Ganges II.

The Shotley Establishment, having no Mast of its own, the shore based Boys were taken on board one of these ships to carry out such drill.
The Mast, originally some 142 ft 10 ins. Is said in several books to be the foremast of H.M.S. Cordelia, a sloop paid off in Portsmouth in 1900 and was towed to Shotley Pier from Portsmouth. Records show the foremast of H.M.S. Cordelia as 134 ft, thus leaving a shortfall of some 8 ft 10 ins. Other drawings originally from the PSA stamped as drawn at their Colchester Office, show the main mast as formerly the foremast from H.M.S. Cordelia.
With the top sections coming from the foretopmast of the former H.M.S. Agincourt (lately Ganges II). Who according to the Navy list, was still at Shotley at this time. Could this mast have been removed at Shotley or by reading deeper into various records show that, H.M.S. Agincourt when launched was five Masted Steam/Sail battleship. Masts two and four were removed 1893. Could one of these masts be the one in question together with the 24 ins diameter steel lower section of the foremast of sloop H.M.S. Cordelia ‘as towed from Portsmouth’ together with possibly ‘No 4 Mast earlier taken from H.M.S. Agincourt’ and not as drawings show ‘the foremast of H.M.S. Agincourt’.
All we can say with certainty is the Mast was erected at R.N.T.E. Shotley in 1907.
The various sections of the 160 ft Mast (142 feet above ground 18 feet buried in concrete had to be man (or should we say Boy) handled up Bristol Hill to the parade field.

This long and wearisome operation taking some five hours.

Early photographs show the Mast with only two-yard arms, which is again consistent with ‘Agincourt’ foremast configuration of yardarms.

The topgallant yard was made in Chatham dockyard and was added prior to 1912.
Local workmen erected or stepped the ‘Mast’. During the excavation of the hole, problems were encountered with ground water, the men were given an ultimatum ‘Either have the hole the mast stepped within three days - or look for other work’ needless to say the mission was accomplished. No mean feat when one considers the hole was some 18 feet deep and dug by hand.

Once the Mast was rigged, the Boys ashore started ‘Mast class’, up one side of the ratlines across the half moon and down the other side at the greatest possible speed.

Mast classes continued until 1973 although not always to the half-moon.