Emergency repairs have started on former Humber paddle steamer Wingfield Castle (1934/556gt) at Hartlepool prior to her full restoration as a visitor attraction.
Built with sister vessel Tattershall Castle at the Sir William Gray yard in West Hartlepool, and one of three coal-fired paddle ferries for the Humber service between Hull and New Holland, Wingfield Castle could carry 20 side-loaded cars with space for 1,200 two-class passengers.
She was withdrawn in 1974, with the service maintained by the 1940-built paddler Lincoln Castle and the diesel-electric Farringford. They ran until the route closed with the opening of the new Humber Bridge in the summer of 1981.