The Duke of Lancaster is a Turbine Steam Ship which was built by Harland and Wolf of Belfast.
It was powered by 2 steam engines, manufactured by Pametrada who also made steam engines for ship such as Aquitania, Queen Mary, Titanic and QE2.
First owned by British Railways, she operated as a passenger ferry and was later converted to also carry motor cars. She also served as a very highly thought of cruise ferry complete with silver service, visiting destinations such as Norway and Spain.
Since 1979, the Duke of Lancaster has been beached beside the A548 at Llanerch y Mor. She has become a local landmark. At first she was known as “The Fun Ship” but has spent many years in a state of partial abandonment.
During the last couple of years, she has slowly been starting to breath again. During autumn 2022, The Duke of Lancaster has been used as a filming location for a documentary called Three Little Birds. It is written by and stars Sir Lenny Henry. The Duke of Lancaster was used to film interior scenes and she portrays the period steamship, HMT Empire Windrush.
Useful Information |
|
| Location | CH8 9DX |
| Nearest Bus Stop | Abakhan |
| Nearest train Station | None nearby |
| Nearest Car Parking | Adjacent |
| Notes | The ship is NOT open to the public. Although it appears at first sight to be abandoned, it is private property, it is securely fenced and security is present all day every day.
However, there are 2 public footpaths which run on each side of the ship from which it is easy to view and photograph the ship. |
