|
Resting
underneath the Sheerlegs at Holyhead in 1966 is the Duke of Rothesay.
© Peter Longhurst.
The Duke of
Rothesay, one of three sisters built for British Railways' Heysham -
Belfast overnight passenger and mail service. Of the three she
was, I think it is fair to say, something of a poor relation. She was
the first to leave the route for which she was built, and was also the
first to be sold for scrap.
Unlike the Duke of Lancaster and the Duke
of Argyll, which came from Harland & Wolff at Belfast, the Duke of
Rothesay came from the famous Dumbarton yard of Wm. Denny & Bros Ltd and
was the last of the trio to enter service in 1956.
She could
accommodate 1800 passengers; 600 of those being in first class. Sleeping
facilities were provided for 240 first class passengers in four two
berth cabins-de-luxe with bath, and a mix of one, two and four berth
standard cabins. Some 214 second class berths were provided in two and
four berth cabins.
There were two cargo holds forward and
tween decks forward and aft for the shipment of general cargo, mail and
cars.
The Duke of Rothesay saw her first spell of Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire
service between 25 September and 11 October 1965, filling in for the
Cambria which had come to grief on the Irish port's West Pier in dense
fog. She was back again in January and February 1966 providing further
relief on the mail service.
Surplus to requirements at Heysham the
Duke of Rothesay was converted to a side loading car ferry by Cammell
Laird in March 1967 for a new role on the Fishguard - Rosslare service.
The Main Deck was gutted and space made for 100 cars.
In 1971, with the Fishguard service now
in the hands of the Caledonian Princess, the Duke of Rothesay was
downgraded to relief and summer peak work.
Having had a small stern door cut into
her hull the ship saw relief work on other routes and she began 1973
once again operating between Holyhead and Dun Laoghaire. She then moved
back to Heysham but was at Holyhead for further relief duties that
March. She even got as far as Dover in June, but only for one week after
which she returned to Holyhead. August saw her at Fishguard when the
Caledonian Princess required emergency attention and it was during this
stint that she collided with a barge while berthing at Rosslare in a
gale on 24 September. The damage to her stern was quite significant and
there are those who claim she was never the same again.
Finally, she was replaced at Holyhead by
the Duke of Lancaster in July 1975 and after a brief lay up she was sold
for scrap. in October she departed Holyhead under tow, with Capt Walter
Lloyd Williams on the bridge, bound for Faslane, via Barrow, and the
breaker's torch. Photo: The Duke of Rothesay arrives at Dun
Laoghaire. ©
Justin Merrigan Collection |
