Cruise into the Pool of London

It’s not too late to make a booking on Waverley, the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer.  Her final Thames journey in the 2023 season is from Southend then Gravesend to London Tower Pier Sunday 8 October. She closes her programme over the weekend of 14/15 October based in Glasgow.

Built and based on the Clyde, over the last month or so she has made her way down the Irish Sea stopping at ports familiar to her and welcoming on board old and newly addicted fans.

She is named after Sir Walter Scott’s first novel and made her maiden voyage on 16 June 1947 at the start of what became a long and continuing career.

Intended originally to sail only between Craigendoran and Arrochar in western Scotland, she was bought in 1975 at the end of her working life for £1 by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS), with the Waverley Steam Navigation Company, a registered charity.

Suitably refurbished, the vessel began a second career as a top tourist attraction and, since being in what is known as operational preservation, has been awarded four stars by Visit Scotland, an engineering heritage award, and has carried more than five million passengers from over 60 ports around the UK.

Until Sunday 8 October she will be offering cruises around the Thames Estuary, from Ipswich to the Pool of London, with trips that include the piers at Clacton, Gravesend, Southend, and of course The Pool of London where she completes her 2023 programme on Sunday evening at a specially floodlit Tower Bridge.  

The ship’s 2024 programme has not yet been published but it is likely to be similar to this year.  Her earlier sister ship Queen Mary, which dates from 1933, is now being restored and could return to passenger cruising in 2024.

Business Travel News took a trip in October 2017.  Take a read.  It will give you a flavour of the ship.

www.btnews.co.uk/article/12333

waverleyexcursions.co.uk

Index/Home page
 

READERS' COMMENT

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 200 words maximum

No one has commented yet, why don't you start the ball rolling?