Скачать или смотреть Drone footage shows decaying Duke of Lancaster ferry which has been beached for 45 years | SWNS

This eerie drone footage shows a once luxurious passenger cruise ship slowly decaying, having been beached more than 45 years ago.

The TSS Duke of Lancaster spent its glory years transporting passengers in its first-class quarters throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

The 350-foot cruise liner - which was built by ship makers Harland & Wolff in Belfast, Ireland in 1956 - provided silver service on trips to Ireland, Scotland.

It even cruised to European locations such as Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain.

Then in the 1970s the 4450 tonne vessel was repurposed as a car ferry after having her main deck rebuilt to hold 105 cars, 1,200 passengers, and cabin accommodation for 400 people.

But in August 1979 she was retired from service and dry beached with hopes to be turned into a tourist attraction at Llannerch-y-Mor Wharf, near Mostyn Docks, on the River Dee, in north Wales.

The boat then took on a new life when it was transformed into a retail complex branded 'the FunShip' with an arcade, restaurants, and a top deck bar, yet it never flourished.

The owner, John Rowley, walked away following an alleged long-standing legal battle with the local council and by the mid-1980s the ship had closed.

The vessel has since been used as a warehouse and an occasional art installation site.

Now it sits dormant in the same spot, the insides the same, but rusting after being reclaimed by nature.

In 2021 owner John and his son Antony put forward plans to raise cash and restore the once esteemed cruise liner's top decks into a working bar and restaurant for tourists but nothing came of it.

The ship is still owned by John but also the The Duke of Lancaster Appreciation Society.

Ashley Gardner, 60, who does admin for the society said: "It was a very successful ship on and off the water.

"But it came with its problems, especially when it was transformed into The Fun Ship.

"It was attacked by the local council having many legal challenges put up agaisnt it forcing John to close it on his terms in 1984.

"The vessel has sat idle ever since and hasn't been given its identity back which is no fault of the owner.

"We don't want to lose it as it has such historical value.

"For instance was built in the same place as the Titanic."

The boat will be in use this Halloween for a scare fest between October 22 and November 1.

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