PS Wingfield Castle facts for kids
The PSS Wingfield Castle located Hartlepool's Maritime Experience in Hartlepool
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | PSS Wingfield Castle |
| Namesake | Wingfield Castle |
| Owner |
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| Route | Humber Ferry crossing |
| Ordered | 1934 |
| Builder | William Gray & Company, Hartlepool, England |
| Laid down | 27 June 1934 |
| Commissioned | 24 September 1934 |
| Decommissioned | 1974 |
| Identification | IMO number: 5392018 |
| Status | Museum ship at Hartlepool's Maritime Experience |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Paddlesteamer |
| Tonnage | 556 GRT |
| Length |
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| Beam |
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| Propulsion | Triple expansion, diagonal stroke, reciprocating steam engine |
| Speed | 12.0 knots (22.2 km/h; 13.8 mph) |
The PS Wingfield Castle is a special kind of boat called a paddlesteamer. It used to be a ferry that carried people and cars across the Humber Estuary in England. Today, it is a museum ship in Hartlepool, County Durham. You can visit it as part of the Hartlepool's Maritime Experience.
Contents
Building the Wingfield Castle
The Wingfield Castle was built in 1934 by a company called William Gray & Company. They built it in Hartlepool. At the same time, they also built a sister ship, the Tattershall Castle. A few years later, in 1940, a third similar ship named the Lincoln Castle was built in Glasgow.
Life as a Ferry Boat
For many years, the Wingfield Castle worked hard as a ferry. It helped people travel across the wide Humber Estuary. This was an important job, connecting different towns and communities. The ship was known for its paddle wheels, which helped it move through the water.
Becoming a Museum Ship
The Wingfield Castle stopped being a working ferry in 1974. In the early 1980s, there was a plan for it to become a floating restaurant in Swansea Marina. However, the ship was too wide to fit through the lock gates there.
Luckily, the ship found a new home. It is now kept at the Museum of Hartlepool. You can see it floating in Jackson Dock. It is a big part of the Hartlepool's Maritime Experience visitor attraction. Another famous ship, HMS Trincomalee, is also part of this amazing experience.
Images for kids
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The Wingfield Castle on the Humber estuary in September 1973.
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A close-up of the Wingfield Castle's funnel in September 1973.
See also
External links
- Wingfield Castle website
- National Historic Ships
