World of Ships – May 2018

20 I World of Ships I Paddle Steamers

or used for excursions which reached their

peak at weekends from the 1950s, when one of

the older pair sailed from Hull towards Spurn

Head, while Lincoln Castle offered Sunday

trips to view the Hull Docks. In her later years

Lincoln Castle was chartered by organisations

to make well-supported trips to Goole, into

the river Trent and towards Spurn Head.

Tattershall Castle was withdrawn in 1972 and

established in a London Victoria Embankment

berth as an art gallery and exhibition centre.

Purchased by Chef and Brewer in 1981, she

was sent to Chatham for conversion to operate

as a pub and restaurant, with the car deck

roofed over to create a catering area. Much

original wood panelling was retained and the

engines were kept clean and open to view,

but it all changed when the former ferry was

towed to Hull for a multi-million pound refit

in 2015, which saw most of the traditional

features swept away. Even the paddle wheels

were removed, and the distinctive fan vents

were plated over as the paddle box space was

added to the vessel’s trading areas. Tattershall

Castle’s berth was also moved 100m upstream

to allow work to start on a new Thames

sewage tunnel project.

Wingfield Castle ran until 1974, before a

move to London and plans for inclusion in a

marina project at Brighton. This fell through,

01 Paddlers_Britain_NL.indd 20 17/04/2018 09: