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Loading for Holyhead at Dun Laoghaire.
©
Ian Scott-Taylor
The Duke of Lancaster was
the first of a trio of ships built in 1956 for the Heysham to Belfast
overnight passenger and mail service. Built by Harland & Wolff
in Belfast and a sister of the Duke of Argyll and the Denny-built Duke
of Rothesay, she differed slightly internally from the others as she was
completed with off season cruising in mind. Her
first cruise came in June 1958, sailing from Southampton for Amsterdam,
Ostend and Rouen. Subsequent cruises brought her to Scotland, Denmark,
Norway and Spain and until 1966 up to six cruises a year were the norm.
It was the departure of the Duke of Rothesay for Fishguard and, to a
small extent, the arrival of the Avalon at Harwich in 1963, that spelt
the end of the Duke of Lancaster's cruising career and in 1969 came the
announcement that she would be converted to a stern loading car ferry. Relieved
in service by Holyhead's Cambria, the Duke of Lancaster was dispatched
to her builders her Main Deck was stripped for vehicle space. The
conversion was more extensive to that carried out on the Duke of
Rothesay in that stern loading doors were fitted as opposed to side
loading. To achieve this all the steering gear was relocated; no easy
task. Arriving back in Heysham in her new form on 25th April 1970 the
Duke of Lancaster now offered space for 1200 one-class passengers and
105 cars. Total cabin accommodation was for 400 with seating for 550 in
addition to her public rooms and restaurant every passenger had an
indoor seat. The
Heysham service closed on 5th April 1975, the Duke of Lancaster taking
the final sailing from Belfast and then quickly sailing to Fishguard to
relieve the Caledonian Princess on the Rosslare service. Remaining there
until 18th July when the newly converted Avalon arrived to take up the
run, the Duke of Lancaster then sailed to Holyhead, replacing the Duke
of Rothesay and slotting into the schedule opposite the Dover. For
the next four years the Duke of Lancaster was a 'Holyhead ship' finding
a niche as relief vessel alongside the new St Columba from 1977. Her
final season was extended when engine trouble forced the withdrawal of
the St Columba for repairs in October 1978. The 'Lancaster' kept things
going until the 'Columba' returned on 9th November, the veteran standing
down for the final time. Under
a trademark cloud of black smoke she left Holyhead for the final time on
17th January 1979 bound for lay up at Barrow. Five months later came the
announcement that she had been sold to a Liverpool-based company,
Empirewise Ltd, for use as a leisure centre on the banks of the River
Dee. On 10th August 1979 the Duke of Lancaster arrived at her final
resting place, a mere 75 miles from Holyhead.
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