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Historical
Database - North Yorkshire ports and popular summer resorts : Scarborough and Whitby
Scarborough
The
resort of Scarborough on the North Sea Coast of the North Riding of
Yorkshire grew rapidly in the nineteenth century to become one of the
country's premier destinations for holidays and day trips. With some
spectacular coastline locally, trips were popular. They did, however,
require a sail on the North Sea which could often be choppy. The ports
of Bridlington to the south and Whitby to the north were favoured
destinations. Local harbour tugs and summer visiting tugs vied for business

Above
: A post card view of Cambria - a typical harbour tug which could turn
its hand to short pleasure trips from the coastal resort
Swallow
Built in 1852 by Alex. Denny at Dumbarton
131.7 ft
2 cyl diagonal engine 22 and 22 in x 49 in (ex- Waterwitch of 1845)
Former
Loch Lomond steamer Queen Victoria which became a smuggling vessel
between Gibraltar and Morocco sailed for James Swallow at Scarborough
from 1868-1872 before becoming a ferry on the Mersey between Egremont
and Liverpool
Scarborough
Built in 1866 by Lewis & Stockwell at Greenwich
149.8 ft
Oscillating 30 and 30 x 34 in engine by J Penn & Sons at Poplar
Operated
by the Gainsbrough United Steam Packet Co until 1909 and the East Coast
Passenger Service Ltd registered at Grimsby from 1909 until 1914
Registered at Newcastle from 1919 to 1922
Camperdown
Built in 1868 by McNab & Co at Greenock
146.5 ft : 200 GT
Built for the Furness Railway Company at Barrow as Walney and used as a tug but also giving passenger excursions alongside their main fleet of steamer
Sold in 1897 to Charles Duncan & Sons, towage company of Middlesbrough and renamed Camperdown
Used on cruises in the Scarborough and Whitby area until 1906
Cambria
Built in 1879 by R Smith & Co at Preston
118.7 ft
Tug : Owned by the Scarborough Harbour Commissioners from 1900-1913 which offered local excursions.
Sold for use in Hull, she was the last paddle ship owned by the Commissioners
Bilsdale
Built in 1900 by Allsup & Co at Preston
135 ft
Diagonal 30 and 30 in x 48 in
Originally used as a tug at Great Yarmouth as Lord Roberts
Moved to the River Tees in 1919 with the Furness Shipbuilding Co
Offered
summer excursions from Scarborough from 1925 to 1934 as Bilsdale under
the ownership of the Crosthwaite Steamship Co, based at Middlesbrough

Above
: Local post card view of Bilsdale, Scarborough's summer excursion
steamer in the late 1920s and early 1930s more closely resembles a
pleasure steamer than a tug
Tugs
could not only turn their hand to pleasure cruises. Scarborough was
home for a number of tugs which were used as fishing vessels. Lord
Clyde of 1864 was built at Cork for use at Queenstown (now Cobh) before
moving to Scarborough owners in 1882. This trawler sank after a
collision in 1893. Tug Express, built at Waterford in 1871 also arrived
at Scarbrough in 1882 for its new fishery role and also suffered a
tragic end being wrecked on rocks off the County Durham coast in 1886.
Cardiff-built Dunrobin of 1876 had already become a trawler when she
arrived at Scarborough in 1895 and the Durham coast also proved fatal
for her in 1908 although she was refloated off Seaton Carew beach and
taken for scrapping
Whitby
The major fishing port of Whitby was also a major tourist draw and tugs came down from the Tees to capitalise
Conqueror
Built in 1884 by by Hepple & Co at North Shields.
123.5 ft
Two single cylinder engines 32 x 58 in. Two funnels abreast
Conqueror
hed served on the Thames Estuary and at Boulogne, France (as
Conquerant), before working out of Middlesbrough from 1904 until 1910.
After serving on the Firth of Forth, she returned to Newcastle in 1917
and remained there until broken up in 1956
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Historical Database
British Paddle Steamer Index