TSS Duke of Lancaster: An Abandoned Art
2024-09-01
Nestled along the coast of North Wales lies a fascinating relic of maritime history – the TSS Duke of Lancaster. Once a proud passenger ferry and cruise ship, this vessel has transformed over the years into a captivating, if slightly eerie, piece of the region's industrial heritage.
TSS Duke of Lancaster is situated about 20 kilometres from Northop Hall Country House Hotel and 25 kilometres from Loggerheads Country Park. It is also pretty close to Flint Castle, only 20 minutes by car. Read on to learn more about this amazing industrial creation.
A Historical Overview
The TSS Duke of Lancaster was launched in 1955 and designed to serve as both a passenger ferry and a cruise ship. It replaced the RMS Duke of Lancaster, which was a steam turbine passenger ship.
The TSS Duke of Lancaster was one of the last British Railways’ group of passenger-only steamers. She also had two sister ships, which went by the names TSS Duke of Rothesay and TSS Duke of Argyll.
For nearly two decades, TSS Duke of Lancaster sailed the seas, connecting travellers between Heysham and Belfast and later providing cruises around the British Isles and to mainland Europe. The ship managed to travel to countries such as Belgium and Denmark and went even as far as Spain.
TSS Duke of Lancaster, just like other cruise ships, faced competition in the 1960s when car ferries grew in popularity. Ultimately, in 1978, this ship and its two sisters stopped their operation.
The Transformation
By the late 1970s, the golden age of passenger ferries was coming to an end, and the TSS Duke of Lancaster was retired from service. As the ship was, in the end, laid up in Llanerch-y-Mor in North Wales, she started a new life as a retail complex. It was then called “the Fun Ship” by some locals. Legal issues, however, hindered this enterprise, and thus TSS Duke of Lancaster was again closed to the public in 2004. Although there have been attempts to open the Fun Ship again, they have not succeeded, and the ship is abandoned near Mostyn Docks.
An Artistic Revival
In recent years, the TSS Duke of Lancaster has undergone yet another transformation, this time into an open-air art gallery. Different graffiti artists were then commissioned to spray paint their designs on the ship. One of these artists was KIWIE, who filled the surface of the ship with “bright and surreal” graffiti.
Other artists, such as Snub23, Spacehop, and Dale Grimshaw, have also displayed their mural artworks on the ship. In the end, these murals and graffiti also disappeared, as both sides of the ship were painted black.
Visiting the Duke of Lancaster
While the TSS Duke of Lancaster is no longer open to the public for interior tours, it remains a popular destination for those interested in maritime history, urban exploration, or simply something a bit out of the ordinary.
Lots of people still take the nearby roads for a walk around the ship and a small peek. Although it is not allowed to go inside or near the ship, you can still enjoy this mass of human engineering from afar. The ship has an eerie quality and a sublime appearance, which makes it a great location for memorable photos.
For those who appreciate the unconventional, the TSS Duke of Lancaster offers a unique glimpse into the past, present, and future of maritime heritage.
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