This print of 1789 from Dodd's 'Dockyard' set shows the scale of activity in and around the Royal Dockyard at Deptford, which remained an important centre for the building and repair of the navy's ships in the late 18th century, though no longer a major operational yard. It was also an important supply base, the victualling yard being on the upstream (west) side of the dockyard proper. The subtitle of the print states that 'This view was taken from the Shore of the River Thames, at the time a Frigate was in the Act of taking in her masts, alongside the Sheer Hulk', with historical description following in two columns: 'Deptford is not the most Ancient of his Majesty's Yards, but at present is the greatest of the Royal Arsenals for the reception of Naval Stores, great Quantities of which are Constantly deposited here, and from its nearness of Situation to the Navy Board is generally termed the first Royal Dockyard. It is repleat with Launches [i.e. construction ways] for Building. [second column] with dry Docks and a large wet Dock in which the Royal Yachts are laid up when not on Service. Adjoining is the Bakehouses and Slaughtering houses which makes it of Importance both for Equipping and Victualing the Royal Navy.'

Dodd did two series of dockyard and seaport prints, easily confused in image terms. The early and slightly smaller unnumbered Royal Dockyard set was published by Boydell, comprising Blackwall (though not a Royal yard but see below) and Deptford (PAH9746) issued on 25 March 1789; Woolwich (PAH9725) and Chatham (PAH9714) on 29 October 1789; Plymouth (PAH9767) on 1 September 1790 and Portsmouth (PAH9742) on 1 November 1790. The larger numbered ones in a series called 'a Collection of the Sea Ports & of the River Thames' were published by Freeman on 4 June 1793: no.1 Greenwich (PAI7098 from his 1792 oil, BHC3867), no. 2 Limehouse (PAI7128), no. 3 a view of the river and shipping near the Tower of London (not in NMM: copy in BM), and no. 4 Dover (PAI7087).

While Blackwall was a civilian yard, it built many navy ships and Dodd's view of it (PAH9724), published with that of Deptford in March 1789, shows the launch of the 74-gun 'Bombay Castle', a warship built for the Navy as a gift of the East India Company. This, and to make a projected set of six rather than five, is presumably why it was included in the otherwise naval dockyard group.