Welcome to The Medway Queen
The Medway Queen Preservation Society is based in the Medway area of Kent but draws support from members throughout the UK and the wider world. It is volunteer led but employs professionals for the rebuild of the ship. You can visit the society at Gillingham Pier when the visitor centre, telling the story of the ship, is open.
The paddle steamer 'Medway Queen' is the last estuary pleasure steamer surviving in the United Kingdom. She was built in 1924 by Ailsa of Troon on the River Clyde in Scotland. The ship is 180 feet long and 50 feet wide over the paddle frames. She is powered by a compound diagonal steam engine.
Medway Queen was built for service between the Medway Towns and Southend-on-Sea. She spent the whole of her working life in this area except for occasional excursions and, of course, for her wartime service. In 1937 Medway Queen attended the Spithead Naval Review as an excursion ship.
She saw active wartime service between 1939 and 1945 with her finest moment in 1940 when the ship and her crew made seven crossings to the beaches of Dunkirk rescuing 7000 British and French troops. Her bravery and that of her gallant crew lead to the title “Heroine of Dunkirk" being bestowed.
After the war the 'Medway Queen' returned to pleasure steaming on the rivers Medway and Thames, under her original owners, until withdrawal in 1963. In 1953 she was again at Spithead for the Coronation Review but this time as part of the official line up in the fleet.
From 1966 the ship served as a marina club house and night club at Island Harbour on the Isle of Wight. She became a well known and popular entertainment venue and her reputation there lasts to this day. In due course she was joined by a larger vessel, ‘Ryde Queen’, and later fell into disuse.
In 1984 the Medway Queen was salvaged by a group of businessmen from the Medway area and towed on a salvage barge back to her home river in Chatham. This restoration attempt failed and the Medway Queen Preservation Society was formed in 1985 to try and save her.
In 2006 the Heritage Lottery Fund made a grant of £1.86million pounds for the complete rebuild of the ship’s hull. The contract was awarded to David Abels of Bristol and the work took place in his dry dock next to the SS Great Britain. This “Albion” drydock was once part of the well known Charles Hill Shipyard.
Following the hull rebuild the second part of the restoration is being carried out at Gillingham Pier. With the support of the European Union’s Regional Development Fund, the MQPS has set up an apprentice training workshop where the restoration will be completed.