Blog Archives

Opening the ship and off site events

27/1/2023

Reminder: Medway Queen and her Visitor Centre open for the 2023 season TOMORROW. Don't miss it! Pam and her team will be ready to welcome you and to guide you round the ship.

Complete your visit with a cream tea on board Medway Queen!

Medway Queen West have also updated their event diary for the coming year - looks busy! We'll hope to see some of you at one or more of the shows.

MQ Visit Details

Medway Queen West Event Diary

Two more queens – research project

25/1/2023

Besides PS Medway Queen, the New Medway Steam Packet Company ran other ships on a variety of routes. These included two very similar twin funnel paddlers named Queen of Kent and Queen of Thanet.

Richard Halton, who has written a number of books detailing the history of PS Medway Queen and, recently, PS Ryde is now researching the history of these two vessels with a view to possible publication. The decision to publish will depend on the amount of historical material discovered and successful negotiations with a publisher – of course. If the project gets that far then proceeds from publication and sales will be passed to the Medway Queen Preservation Society (registered charity 296236). Any material gathered will be shared with the PSPS Collection to ensure its long-term survival. This is fitting since the 2 ships were operated by NMSPCo although not on the same routes as Medway Queen.

Both ships started life in 1916 as purpose-built paddle minesweepers: HMS Atherstone and HMS Melton. After the war, in the 1920s, they were purchased by the New Medway company and converted for civilian use as PS Queen of Kent and PS Queen of Thanet. They operated under that flag until 1939 when they were requisitioned and became minesweepers again – under their new names as the original names were being used for existing naval ships. They returned to civilian use afterwards and were hastily converted back as stop-gap vessels while new build motor vessels were on order. In the late ‘40s they were sold to Red Funnel in Southampton for use as ferries. They were renamed Lorna Doone and Solent Queen respectively, but this proved to be a short-term reprieve and they were scrapped in 1951 and ’52.

Material, especially personal recollections, is expected to be harder to find than for Richard’s previous projects as these ships disappeared before cameras were in widespread use and so long ago that few people will now have first-hand memories of the ships. If you can help with any information or images, please contact Richard Halton by email on richardhalton1502@gmail.com

Richard Halton

Visiting MQ update

21/1/2023

Only one week to go before Medway Queen reopens for the 2023 season.

From Saturday 28th January the Medway Queen Visitor Centre will be open to visitors with ship tours available as before. Come and see the work that has been done, look at (and buy!) our latest merchandise including the children's book "Adventures of the Medway Queen" and our latest 00 gauge promotional wagons.

CREAM TEAS AVAILABLE ON BOARD!!

Visiting Details

2023 Visits to Medway Queen

10/1/2023

Photo: Martin Goodhew

Visit Details

Happy New Year - and now it's "back to work" for the onsite volunteers and the backroom staff working in the comfort of their own homes.

The Saturday Team will re-open the ship to visitors on Saturday January 28th with the usual ship tours, on board photo display, cream teas, gift shop etc. With any luck the "icing sugar" effect on the pier will not be there!

Open hours are 11am to 4pm (last admission 3pm as before. The team are keen to welcome you aboard but if you admit to a willingness to join them as a volunteer they'll be even happier!