north star
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The Duke of Lancaster is a railway steamer passenger ship in operation in Europe from 1956 to 1978, and currently beached in Mostyn docks, on the River Dee, north-east Wales.
Along with her sister ships the Duke of Rothesay and the Duke of Argyll, these vessels were amongst the last passenger-only steamers built for British Railways (at that time, also a ferry operator). Built at Harland & Wolff, Belfast and completed in 1956, she was designed to operate as both a passenger ferry (primarily on the Heysham-Belfast route) and as a cruise ship. In this capacity, the Lancaster travelled to the Scottish islands and further afield to Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway and Spain.
From the mid-1960s, passenger ships such as the Lancaster were gradually being superseded by car ferries. Rather than undertaking the expensive option of renewing their entire fleet, British Railways instead commenced a part-program of conversion. In order to maintain ferry services whilst these modifications took place, the Lancaster's duties as a cruise ship ceased. On 25 April 1970, the ship returned to service, having had her main deck rebuilt to accommodate vehicles via a door at her stern. The ship now provided space for 1,200 single-class passengers and 105 cars, with a total cabin accommodation for 400 passengers.
The three ships continued on the Heysham-Belfast route until the service was withdrawn on 5 April 1975. The Duke of Lancaster was then briefly employed on the Fishguard-Rosslare crossing, before becoming the regular relief vessel on the Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire service until November 1978. The ship was then laid up at Barrow in Furness, Cumbria.
The Lancaster was sold to Liverpool based company Empirewise Ltd, who intended her to be used as a static leisure centre and market. She arrived at her new home at Llanerch-y-Mor, near Mostyn on 10 August 1979. The ship was beached and the hull was sealed in concrete. Known as "The Fun Ship", it was also possible to visit her bridge and engine room. Conversion for use as a 300-room hotel did not appear to go beyond the preliminary planning stage. Its use as "The Fun Ship" was relatively short-lived and was subsequently closed to the public. Over time, the vessel has become increasingly derelict.
The ship was later used as a warehouse by its owners Solitaire Liverpool Ltd, a clothing company registered to the same address as Empirewise Ltd. Despite rumours of the ship being scrapped, the company stated that they have no plans to sell it, or restore it and its current use is uncertain.
The vessel still contains much of its period furniture and marine navigation equipment.
The planning for this unique explore was absolutly mind blowing, as almost everybody knows and has probably heard the security on and around this ship is so tight you would not belive.
No matter how much somebody tells you how tight it is you wont belive it and word also has it that the security guards are the biggest and boldest of there type with muscle upon muscle so we all know the beating comes first and the questions later, visited with stepping lightly and userscott we approached the ship in an invisible type of manner.
I do appologise for my pics but the place was so dark you could hardly see where you was going never mind set up a tripod take pics and look over your shoulder every other second.
This picture shows you the size of the ship from a distance and what a size it actually is close up.
Once on the ship we made our way to the top deck taking pictures on the way i produced these...
This is just a small piece of the marine navigation equipment that still remains intact to this day.
Stepping lightly made his way inside the chimney of the ship only to reveal the vast amount of pigeons, they came from everywhere, flying into each other into the walls of the ship it was so funny being on the outside hearing him on the inside fighting with a load of pigeons.
Peerring over the handrails you couldnt help notice these huge life boats they were all roughly 10 to 15 foot long
After about half hour on the decks we decided to do away with the cameras and tripods throw on our backpacks and head off inside.
With userscott leading the way we went into the main control room where the captain would of sailed the ship from.
Just as we all entered userscott turned to reveal that somebody was living on the boat,there was a made bed a shower room and the control room we were in seemed to be whoever was living on the ship it was there bedroom, with a reclining chair a foot rest and coffee table.:crazy
Hearing voices coming from about 10 yards away and seeing search lights shining all over the ship from the decks and the ground below we turned to each other and decided that we must end the explore before worst happens, so off we went avoiding the fast passing search lights and the raised voices calling out to each other that theres definatly 3 of them...
That was an explore i will never forget and also 1 i dont think i will return to in a hurry...:thumb:
Along with her sister ships the Duke of Rothesay and the Duke of Argyll, these vessels were amongst the last passenger-only steamers built for British Railways (at that time, also a ferry operator). Built at Harland & Wolff, Belfast and completed in 1956, she was designed to operate as both a passenger ferry (primarily on the Heysham-Belfast route) and as a cruise ship. In this capacity, the Lancaster travelled to the Scottish islands and further afield to Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway and Spain.
From the mid-1960s, passenger ships such as the Lancaster were gradually being superseded by car ferries. Rather than undertaking the expensive option of renewing their entire fleet, British Railways instead commenced a part-program of conversion. In order to maintain ferry services whilst these modifications took place, the Lancaster's duties as a cruise ship ceased. On 25 April 1970, the ship returned to service, having had her main deck rebuilt to accommodate vehicles via a door at her stern. The ship now provided space for 1,200 single-class passengers and 105 cars, with a total cabin accommodation for 400 passengers.
The three ships continued on the Heysham-Belfast route until the service was withdrawn on 5 April 1975. The Duke of Lancaster was then briefly employed on the Fishguard-Rosslare crossing, before becoming the regular relief vessel on the Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire service until November 1978. The ship was then laid up at Barrow in Furness, Cumbria.
The Lancaster was sold to Liverpool based company Empirewise Ltd, who intended her to be used as a static leisure centre and market. She arrived at her new home at Llanerch-y-Mor, near Mostyn on 10 August 1979. The ship was beached and the hull was sealed in concrete. Known as "The Fun Ship", it was also possible to visit her bridge and engine room. Conversion for use as a 300-room hotel did not appear to go beyond the preliminary planning stage. Its use as "The Fun Ship" was relatively short-lived and was subsequently closed to the public. Over time, the vessel has become increasingly derelict.
The ship was later used as a warehouse by its owners Solitaire Liverpool Ltd, a clothing company registered to the same address as Empirewise Ltd. Despite rumours of the ship being scrapped, the company stated that they have no plans to sell it, or restore it and its current use is uncertain.
The vessel still contains much of its period furniture and marine navigation equipment.
The planning for this unique explore was absolutly mind blowing, as almost everybody knows and has probably heard the security on and around this ship is so tight you would not belive.
No matter how much somebody tells you how tight it is you wont belive it and word also has it that the security guards are the biggest and boldest of there type with muscle upon muscle so we all know the beating comes first and the questions later, visited with stepping lightly and userscott we approached the ship in an invisible type of manner.
I do appologise for my pics but the place was so dark you could hardly see where you was going never mind set up a tripod take pics and look over your shoulder every other second.
This picture shows you the size of the ship from a distance and what a size it actually is close up.
Once on the ship we made our way to the top deck taking pictures on the way i produced these...
This is just a small piece of the marine navigation equipment that still remains intact to this day.
Stepping lightly made his way inside the chimney of the ship only to reveal the vast amount of pigeons, they came from everywhere, flying into each other into the walls of the ship it was so funny being on the outside hearing him on the inside fighting with a load of pigeons.
Peerring over the handrails you couldnt help notice these huge life boats they were all roughly 10 to 15 foot long
After about half hour on the decks we decided to do away with the cameras and tripods throw on our backpacks and head off inside.
With userscott leading the way we went into the main control room where the captain would of sailed the ship from.
Just as we all entered userscott turned to reveal that somebody was living on the boat,there was a made bed a shower room and the control room we were in seemed to be whoever was living on the ship it was there bedroom, with a reclining chair a foot rest and coffee table.:crazy
Hearing voices coming from about 10 yards away and seeing search lights shining all over the ship from the decks and the ground below we turned to each other and decided that we must end the explore before worst happens, so off we went avoiding the fast passing search lights and the raised voices calling out to each other that theres definatly 3 of them...
That was an explore i will never forget and also 1 i dont think i will return to in a hurry...:thumb:
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