Wednesday 12 June 2013

The Duke of Lancaster

The marooned Duke of Lancaster - a good place for a stroll on the Wales Coast Path. Walking North West along the Dee from Flint, the path turns inland to avoid Mostyn Docks. But if you fancy visiting this oddest of shipwrecks then walk on. Alternatively you can park at Greenfield Dock and walk from there.



Exterior of the ship, showing work by the graffiti artist "Kiwie".

The Duke of Lancaster was a passenger ship that operated around Europe from 1956 to 1979, before being decommissioned and hauled up into a dry dock near Mostyn. The Ship was sold to a Liverpool based entertainment company, who planned to operate it as an attraction for holiday makers called "the Fun Ship", allowing them to tour the bridge and engine room or visit an amusement arcade with slot machines.

Unfortunately road access to the site is restricted by passing under a low railway bridge, which prevents emergency vehicles from accessing the site. This was deemed to make the site unsuitable as an attraction, and the fun ship was closed.

There are now plans to turn the ship into an open air art gallery. The Latvian graffiti artist "Kiwie" has been commissioned to spray-paint the exterior of the ship. As you can see from the above photo, work has already begun. Other artists will also be invited to contribute to the exterior over the coming months and years.

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