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TSS Duke of Lancaster, Mostyn
TSS Duke of Lancaster, Mostyn
TSS Duke of Lancaster is a former railway steamer passenger ship that operated in Europe from 1956 to 1979. It is now beached at Llannerch-y-Mor Wharf near Mostyn Docks, on the River Dee in North Wales.
Key Facts
- Location: Llannerch-y-Mor Wharf, Mostyn, Flintshire, Wales
- Built: 1955-1956
- Status: Beached
- Owner: Anthony Rowley, The Duke of Lancaster Appreciation Society
- Grade: N/A
Overview
TSS Duke of Lancaster is a former railway steamer passenger ship that operated in Europe from 1956 to 1979. It is now beached at Llannerch-y-Mor Wharf near Mostyn Docks, on the River Dee in north Wales. The ship replaced an earlier vessel of the same name operated by the London Midland and Scottish Railway company.
As of 2021, it was owned by Anthony Rowley and The Duke of Lancaster Appreciation Society.
Built at Harland & Wolff in Belfast, the Duke of Lancaster was launched on December 1, 1955, and completed in 1956. It operated as both a passenger ferry and a cruise ship, traveling to destinations such as the Scottish islands, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, and Spain. From the mid-1960s, the ship was converted to accommodate vehicles, and it continued to serve various routes until it was laid up in 1978.
In August 1979, the Duke of Lancaster arrived in Llanerch-y-Mor to become a business venture and retail complex known as “the Fun Ship.” Frequent legal battles with local councils led to the closure of the business in 2004. Subsequent owners faced similar issues.
In early 2012, local arcade game collectors purchased most of the coin-operated machines left inside the ship. The plan was to transform the ship into the largest open-air art gallery in the UK. Latvian graffiti artist KIWIE and other artists painted murals on the ship. However, by 2017, both sides of the ship were painted black. As of early 2024, the future of the ship remains uncertain due to various challenges.
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