The German built passenger ferry, Endeavour, whose last reported name is listed as, ‘Trinity’ – (IMO 5264663). She was originally built & launched in 1959 as the ‘Alte Liebe’. However since her launch, she has had several name changes:

• Alte Liebe – 1959 → 1962.
• Orestad – 1962 → 1973.
• Baltica I – 1973 → 1977.
• Habicht 2 – 1977 → 1995.
• Princess Royal – 1995 → 2008.
• Trinity – 2008 → Most recent name.
• Endeavour – Proposed name after completion of restoration.

The ferry was in service until 1994 when she sailed into Liverpool for a planned business venture and renamed Princess Royal. It was when this venture failed that she was moored up and abandoned in Liverpool’s Canada Dock for over 20 years. All those years of neglect led to a deterioration of her condition, which caused her to be known as Liverpool’s ‘ghost ship’.

Endeavour (‘Trinity’ – IMO 5264663)

Thankfully though the vessel was rescued from being scrapped at the last minute by the ‘Endeavour Project’, a team of volunteers who planned to completely restore the ship by spring 2018. Once restored, she was to be renamed, ‘Endeavour’. The newly formed ‘Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company’ was to use Endeavour on its proposed new ferry service from Liverpool to Llandudno and the Menai Strait, starting in May 2018.

Restoration was well underway to bring the old girl back to life, however, restoration had to be halted after she started taking on large volumes of water. This sadly resulted in her sinking on the 12th May 2019, lying partially submerged at her moorings in Canada Dock. Whilst not confirmed, it was reported that Endeavour’ taking on water and her subsequent sinking was due to a break in, however other reports say she had been taking on water for some time.

Endeavour’s future now looks uncertain to say the least, it is doubtful that Endeavour (Trinity) will ever sail again, given that the operating status of the vessel is listed as – “Decommissioned, Lost and Dead”. I suspect she will already have been scrapped…

Previous: Warrington Transporter Bridge Next: Brooks House, Hanover Street

Other Galleries

Home | Gallery | Top of Page

chrisiles.co.uk | © Chris Iles, 2015-2024

https://chrisiles.co.uk/2023/11/17/the-endeavour/

#Abandoned #CanadaDock #ChrisIles #Endeavour #Heritage #History #IMO5264663 #Liverpool #LostHeritage #MaritimeHistory #NikonD800 #PrincessRoyal #RiverMersey #ShipsShipping #Trinity

‘Otterspool House’ the grand home of “John Moss” stood In what is now Otterspool park, South Liverpool. The house was demolished in 1931, leaving stone steps and the raised stone terrace that we see today as the only clues that such a house existed. The house was originally built alongside the “Otters Pool”, a tidal creek where the sunken field opposite is today. The Otters Pool was fed from the ancient River Jordan that flows from Sefton Park Lake and out into the River Mersey.

The Old Octagonal Café in Otterspool Park, where the house of John Moss once stood

On the stone terrace where the grand house once stood, is the Octagonal Café that was built and opened in 1932, the same year that Otterspool Park opened. I remember having ice cream’s from the Octagonal café when I was a young child. Whilst those of a more senior age, may also remember the children’s television series “Why Don’t You”, which was filmed within the café building during the 1980’s.

Sadly, this small but attractive building has lain empty for many years and is now in quite a dilapidated state, being at the mercy of vandals. Whilst the café building may not be a historically important building, it would be nice to see the old café saved and given a new lease of life, before it collapses or is burned to the ground. You can still see that it was once an attractive & well constructed building in its day.

Newspaper article reporting on the opening of Otterspool Park and the Octagonal Café from the ‘Liverpool Post and Mercury’, Saturday 2nd July 1932. Curtesy of The British Newspaper Archive.

Whilst walking the dog, I passed by the café as I often do, only to find that the building had been broken into. Two of its doors and the security panelling had been ripped off to gain access. This has sadly revealed the ruined state of it’s interior. There are still visible signs of the building’s past when it was a Café.

I didn’t stay inside too long though to take more pictures for fear of what dust maybe inside…

Previous: The old Bank Vault Next: River Jordan, Aigburth

Other Galleries

Home | Gallery | Top of Page

chrisiles.co.uk | © Chris Iles, 2015-2024

https://chrisiles.co.uk/2022/04/11/inside-the-otterspool-cafe/

#Abandoned #AncientRiver #Architecture #ChrisIles #Heritage #History #Liverpool #LostHeritage #NikonD850 #OtterspoolCafè #OtterspoolPark #RiverJordan #RiverMersey #UpperBrook #WhyDonTYou

The discovery and explore of a long lost, little known subterranean passage and tunnel under Renshaw Street, Liverpool City Centre. Located beneath what was once a former tyre fitting garage, next door to the Dispensary Pub. Sadly, I dont know if this will still exist, having potentially been filled in during the recent development that has taken place on this site. These photos, originally taken on 35mm negatives sometime in the early 2000’s, have been scanned and digitised.

This small but interesting underground find, consisted of a square chamber, accessed via a manhole in the floor of the former garage. In the upper most corner of the chamber, a bricked up tunnel entrance can clearly be seen. The tunnel headed up the hill beneath the buildings on Leece Street and Hardman Street, in the direction of the Fly in the Loaf and possibly beyond towards the Philharmonic pub. In the opposite corner of the chamber is a passage leading off under Renshaw Street in the direction of Lime Street. Within this passage, you can clearly see the bricked up windows and doors of forgotten structures, leading further beneath Renshaw street.

Media Coverage

Tunnel with bricked up windows and doors under Liverpool city centre street remains a mystery – Liverpool Echo

Incredible images of mysterious subterranean world below Renshaw Street – Liverpool Echo

Photographs taken within the small but interesting underground passages, found under Renshaw Street, Liverpool. The bricked in Tunnel continues up the hill under Leece St and Hardman Street towards the Fly in the Loaf and Philharmonic pub

The original building, that once stood on Baltimore Street, just opposite the side entrance of the ‘Fly in the Loaf’ pub was demolished around 2008. This revealed what looks like the continuation of the sealed up tunnel entrance at the botton of the hill under Renshaw Street.

Where did this tunnel lead and what was its purpose? Who knows…

This photo, whilst only taken using a mobile phone, clearly shows a brick built arched tunnel behind the wooden steps. The Tunnel seen here, is most probably the same Tunnel that emerges in the chamber at the bottom of the hill, beneath Renshaw Street.

Previous: Demolition of the Former ‘Garston Hotel’ Next: The old Bank Vault

Other Galleries

Home | Gallery | Top of Page

chrisiles.co.uk | © Chris Iles, 2015-2024

https://chrisiles.co.uk/2022/02/11/beneath-renshaw-street-liverpool/

#Abandoned #Architecture #BeneathRenshawStreet #Cellar #ChrisIles #Digitised #FilmPhotography #Heritage #History #Liverpool #LostHeritage #NikonFA #RenshawStreet #Subterranean #Tunnel #UndergroundLiverpool

During construction of the new Garston Way bypass (A561) back in the early 1980’s. An old culvert of the old Garston River was discovered on ‘Church Road’. The discovery was made where the new Garston Way bypass bridge was being built. The culvert is thought to have been one of Liverpool’s ancient rivers, the old Garston Brook. The original stone arch can be clearly seen here in these images.

Newspaper article reporting the discovery of the old Garston River Culvert, from the Liverpool Echo, Thursday 4th November 1982. Curtesy of The British Newspaper Archive.

These photographs were originally taken with my Ricoh XR7, on 35mm negative film. In order to be able to photograph the culvert before it would be lost once again, it was necessary to photograph over the top of the barrier surrounding the worksite.

Sections from two old maps of Garston, showing the course of the old Garston Brook. The first of the maps, on the Left : Lancashire Sheet CXIII Surveyed: 1846 to 1864 & Published: 1850 and a slightly later map on the Right: Lancashire Sheet CXIII.SE Surveyed: 1888 to 1891 & Published: 1894 both maps show the original River, with features along it’s length. Followed by the changes that occurred to the brook and it’s visibility as the years passed. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

Old culvert, believed to be originally built for the ancient Garston Brook, exposed in the 1980’s, during the construction of the New Garston Bypass.

Previous: Drakelow Tunnels Next: Demolition of the Former ‘Garston Hotel’

Other Galleries

Home | Gallery | Top of Page

chrisiles.co.uk | © Chris Iles, 2015-2024

https://chrisiles.co.uk/2022/02/11/culvert-of-the-ancient-garston-river-unearthed/

#Abandoned #AncientRiver #Architecture #ChrisIles #Culvert #Digitised #FilmPhotography #Garston #Heritage #History #Liverpool #LostHeritage #OldGarstonBrook #RicohXR7 #Subterranean #UndergroundLiverpool