Ullswater 'Steamers'

Ullswater 'Steamers'
Private company
Industry Passenger transportation
Leisure cruises
Founded 1855
Headquarters Glenridding, Cumbria
Area served
 Ullswater
Key people
 Lord Wakefield of Kendal
Website www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk
One of the steamers heading back towards Pooley Bridge from Glenridding.

Ullswater 'Steamers' is a boat company which provides leisure trips on Ullswater in the English Lake District. It is based in Glenridding, Cumbria. Founded in 1855, it currently operates five diesel powered vessels between four locations on the lake. The oldest boat in its fleet was launched in 1877.

History

The company was founded as the Ullswater Steam Navigation Company in 1855, and originally moved mail, workers and goods between the Greenside Mine at Glenridding and the village of Pooley Bridge at the opposite end of the lake.[1][2] On 13 August 1859, the company's first purpose-built vessel, the paddle steamer Enterprise, was launched, although it subsequently sank in the lake.[3] In 1900 the company was renamed as the Ullswater Navigation and Transit Company. In the 1930s, the company converted its fleet of two steam powered pleasure cruisers to operate on diesel engines. In 1954 Lord Wakefield of Kendal bought a controlling shareholding in Ullswater 'Steamers' to prevent the company from being wound up.[4] It is still in the ownership of Lord Wakefield's family. In 2001, the company started to operate sailings during the winter; it had previously only operated during the summer tourist season.[5] In 2015 a new jetty was opened by the company at Aira Force.

Ullswater 'Steamers' currently operates a fleet of five vessels from four jetties on Ullswater at Glenridding, Pooley Bridge, Howtown and Aira Force. Profits from ticket sales contribute to conservation work in and around the lake, including the maintenance of footpaths on the lake shore.[6] In addition to its scheduled passenger services, the company's vessels can be hired for private functions and parties on Ullswater.

Fleet

M.Y. Lady of the Lake

The Lady of the Lake.

The Lady of the Lake was launched on 26 June 1877 and she is believed to be the oldest working passenger ferry in the world.[7] She was designed by Douglas Henson of Penrith, Cumbria, built at Rutherglen near Glasgow, transported in three sections by rail to Penrith and then taken by horse drays to Waterside near Pooley Bridge, where she was assembled. In 1881 the Lady of the Lake sank at her moorings but was re-floated by a team of divers. She was converted from steam to diesel power in 1936. The vessel sank again in 1958 in a severe storm, but was again re-floated. In 1965 the vessel was badly damaged by fire and was out of service for 14 years, before being restored by Lord Wakefield. She was re-launched on 19 May 1979 by William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw.[8]

M.Y. Raven

The Raven was launched on 11 July 1889, having been commissioned in response to the growing popularity of Ullswater as a tourist destination. She was named after Ravencragg, the lakeside home of company director William Hugh Parkin. In 1912, Raven was made a temporary royal yacht when Wilhelm II, German Emperor visited Ullswater during his stay with Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale. Her decks were painted yellow, the Earl's personal colour, for the occasion. In 1934, Raven was converted from steam and fitted with twin diesel engines. She is the largest vessel in the fleet.

M.V. Western Belle

MV Western Belle is a twinscrew passenger vessel, and has been owned by Ullswater 'Steamers' since 2008. She started to operate on the lake in Autumn 2010.[9][10]

M.V. Lady Dorothy

The Lady Dorothy is the smallest of the company's vessels. Originally a sea going vessel from Guernsey, she joined the fleet in 2001 when the company began to operate its Winter timetable.

M.V. Lady Wakefield

Built in 1949, the MV Lady Wakefield originally operated in southern England. In 2006 she was bought by Ullswater 'Steamers' and refitted. She was re-launched by Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy in memory of Lord Wakefield's wife in April 2007.[11]

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Andrew Gladwell, 'Ullswater', Lakeland Steamers (Amberley Publishing, 30 March 2011).
  2. ↑ History of Ullswater 'Steamers' on the company website (accessed 25 July 2015).
  3. ↑ Andrew Gladwell, 'Ullswater', Lakeland Steamers (Amberley Publishing, 30 March 2011).
  4. ↑ History of Ullswater 'Steamers' on the company website (accessed 25 July 2015).
  5. ↑ Andrew Gladwell, 'Ullswater', Lakeland Steamers (Amberley Publishing, 30 March 2011).
  6. ↑ Conservation on the company website (accessed 25 July 2015).
  7. ↑ Paul Brown, Historic Ships: The Survivors (Amberley Publishing Limited, 2013)
  8. ↑ Andrew Gladwell, 'Ullswater', Lakeland Steamers (Amberley Publishing, 30 March 2011).
  9. ↑ Irish Sea Shipping News, http://www.irishseashipping.com/news/2008/07_2008/07_2008.htm, July 27, 2008 Update
  10. ↑ "New steamer for Ullswater". The Westmorland Gazette. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  11. ↑ Boyle, I, http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/PlymouthBoatCruises.html, Referred 2009

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, November 25, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.