There are strange folk abroad this morning. I’m sure his head turned in my direction.
Shortly after Mostyn, unbelievably, a steamer passenger ship appears directly in front of the path — The Duke of Lancaster. The dock is fenced off with 24-hour surveillance warning signs. There are no Keep Out! or No Trespassing! signs, so I hide my pack under a tree, scramble down to the river and round the barbed-wired fence, climbing up the muddy bank for a closer look.
The ship is huge. It’s possible to walk all the way round but the gangplank entrance is unfortunately sealed.
The owner, John Rowley, wrote a short book about the ship and each page is displayed on a large noticeboard. It’s quite a story. In the late seventies, Sunday trading laws prevented shops from opening. Rowley found a loophole in the law as the restrictions did not apply to ships. He bought the Duke of Lancaster to host a retail complex. The local Council (“the pirates”) resisted his plans, and after years of battling, he finally gave up.
While Rowley fought the Council, the ship was occupied by a cast of colourful characters including the entrepreneurs and their families. What fun for children living on a deserted cruise ship. A Wild West troupe joined them. It all sounds like the cast of John Irving’s The Hotel New Hampshire. One floor was taken over by arcade machines, which is itself the subject of an interesting tale: Arcade games raid.
Returning to the outside of the perimeter fence, the path passes the main gate, where a watchman is feeding driftwood into a fire in an oil drum. I’d like to chat but he doesn’t look up. Reluctantly, I head east with one parting look back.
After crossing the River Dee, a cinder cycle track stretches ahead for eternity. There’s a price to pay for completing the 870-mile Wales Coast Path.
It’s a short walk into Chester, which is lovely. The cathedral is magnificent and a fine place to end the day.
Walk distance: 24 miles.
Total distance: 3,107 miles.
Ah yes the Mostyn fun ship. An interesting story. I think it was eventually shut down by the Council citing fire regulations as a fire engine couldn’t get under the railway bridge, which was the only access. Not sure if that’s the case. When I walked this it was white but with a lot of graffiti (and rust!), clearly had a coat of paint since. Here is my photo of it back in 2013 https://flickr.com/photos/joncombe/8540740626/
I didn’t include Chester in my coast walk (though it’s a lovely city which I have visited before) as I used Hawarden bridge to cross from Wales to England although I see the Wales coast path does go there.
Yes, it was fire regulations, although Rowley says that the Council kept moving the goalposts. Great to see how it used to look.
I’ve never seen that ship, but it has turned up on several blogs, including Jon’s, so I kind of greet it like an old friend.
I knew it was on the path but I thought I had missed it when I cut down from my campsite on the hill. Then you emerge from the trees and it is as if the ship bisects the path directly ahead of you. Quite amazing.
Fascinating story about the ship & ‘Well Done !’ Tony on completing Wales Coast Path, have enjoyed following your journey and insights along the way. Where next? Cheers
Rich
Thanks Rich. I’m back up to Scotland next week for the Isle of Bute (West Island Way), working my way round some lochs and finishing with the Cowal Way.
The ship was covered in paintings and graffiti when I spotted it… quite a shock because from a distance it looks like it is parked right across the path! That long straight walk along the river to the end of the WCP is quite an ordeal, isn’t it. That was the one and only time I listened to podcasts while I walked. Well done for completing Wales!
Thanks Ruth. Yes, it looked like the path entered the ship. I should have brought my crossword for the final stretch! 🙂