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PS Wingfield Castle

Above: Wingfield Castle moored outside the Hartlepool Museum on May 9th, 2009.

Launched on September 24th 1934 by Wm. Gray at Hartlepool, England
Engines : Triple Expansion Diagonal, 18, 28.5 and 46 in x 51 in
Dimensions : 199.9 ft (overall) x 33.1/57 ft 
556 Gross Registered Tons

Built for LNER Railway (later British Railways) Hull - New Holland ferry service
On of three paddlers maintaining a year-round service for passengers, cars, cattle and cargo
Withdrawn in 1974 as work on the new Humber Suspension Bridge proceeded (The bridge finally opened in 1981 and the remaining paddle ferry service closed down)
Sold various times and lying derelict in Swansea when purchased by Hartlepool Borough Council
Returned to Hartlepool in June 1986 for restoration
Moored at the site of the former William Gray & Co shipyard as an exhibit of Hartlepool Museum
Refurbished in 2006/2007 with the help of the National Heritage Lottery Fund, the European Regional Development Fund and the HMS Trincomalee Trust
The rotten traditional promenade deck planking was replaced by a latex compound laid above a reinforced steel deck
Saloon areas now converted for use for eductional seminars, corporate events etc with a small lift installed to meet accessibility requirements
A major restoration was announced in 2020 following Hartlepool's successful bid to win funds from central government for a wider town regeneration project 


Wingfield Castle in service in 1971 in a photo kindly supplied by Jake Dale.
Below : From the paddlesteamers.info photograph archive

By 1990 restoration was well under way at Hartlepool

By 1998 she was a fully open part of Hartlepool Museum

A coffee bar is installed in the forward lounge
 


WINGFIELD CASTLE PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION


1990
1998
2000

2007
2009  
2017


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