Completed in 1956 by Harland and Wolff at Belfast for British Railways/Sealink, the DUKE OF LANCASTER was designed to be both a ferry and a cruise ship. It had two sister ships, the DUKE OF ROTHESAY (built by Dennys at Dumbarton) and the DUKE OF ARGYLL (built at Harland and Wolff at Belfast). The vessel had accommodation for 600 first class and 1200 second class passengers. The vessel undertook cruises to the Scottish islands, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway and Spain until 1966. In 1970, it was partially converted to a car ferry (entry door in the stern) and worked between Heysham and Belfast. At that time, the vessel had space for 1200 passengers, 105 cars and cabin accommodation for 400. The three vessels continued on the Heysham-Belfast route until the service was withdrawn in April 1975. The DUKE OF LANCASTER was briefly used on the Fishguard-Rosslaire route becoming the relief vessel until November 1978. The vessel was then laid up at Barrow-in-Furness. It was sold out of service in 1979 to a Liverpool based company called Empirewise Ltd, who intended the vessel to be used as a static lesiure centre and market. The vessel was beached at Llanerch-y-Mor Wharf (nprn 409786) on 10 August 1979 and for a while it was possible to visit the engine room and bridge. A proposal to convert the vessel into a 300-room hotel did not go beyond a first planning stage. Latterly the vessel has been used as a warehouse by a clothing company. The vessel continues to sit adjacent to the Llannerch-y-Mor wharf with a sunken barge hard against its eastern side (see NPRN 506944).

WWW resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Lancaster_(ship)
http://www.hhvferry.com/dukeoflanc.html

Maritime Officer, RCAHMW, March 2010