[nickweb]

I thought I'd re-post this here as a certain urbex site with the numbers 8 and 2 seem to like deleting old reports. Hope no-one minds

FROM WIKIPEDIA
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).[1] 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From the mid-1960s, passenger ships such as the Lancaster were gradually being superseded by car ferries.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The three ships continued on the Heysham-Belfast route until the service was withdrawn on 5 April 1975.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.

Despite having large amounts of its exterior paintwork covered in red-leading, the interior of the ship is in very good condition.

We had to negotiate our way down the infamously narrow and overgrown path that leads down the side of the dock.


The warning signs were giving us the impression we shouldn't be there, but we carried on nonetheless




As we made our way down into the dock itself I noticed the Duke's rudder, which kinda moved me because I know she would never use it again.


Right next to the rudder, was the props, one still visible, and almost the size of a person!


We also saw someone had made a nice little seating area for themselves smile


Her forward mast also moved me, as its fallen to one side, yet still has the light fitting at the end of it, so sad


And now for the misc pics: