Three castles

The Lincoln Castle (photo by paddlesteamers.info)

Long before the construction of the Humber Bridge there was a more sedate and leisurely way of crossing the River Humber. This was the Humber Ferry. From 1934 until the service ended in the late 70s this was the domain of the three paddle steamers: Wingfield Castle, Lincoln Castle and Tattershall Castle!

The Wingfield Castle at Corporation Pier. (photo by John Law)

I remember in the late 1950s getting off the train at Hull Paragon station and making our way down to Hull Corporation Pier to get the paddle steamer to New Holland. We did this as Polly Creek had moved to Barton upon Humber to live with her eldest daughter, Phyllis. Once the ferry was at sea we would make our way down to the observation window where we could watch the paddles at work. Once we alighted at New Holland we had a mile walk into Barton.

The Tattershall Castle (photo courtesy of LNER)

As a young man John Benn recalls a function of the ferry that he and his friends were able to use to their advantage. The ferryboats had a drinks licence, unburdened by closing times - if the ferry was running then the bar was open. When the pubs called time at 3 p.m. they would get on the 3 o’clock ferry and continue drinking until 7 o’clock when they would alight at Corporation Pier and then get back into the pubs in the city centre!