The Sinking of the Lady of the Lake...

After two weeks of scanning, I have been introduced to various new places and aspects of the Lake District, many of which I had no prior knowledge of. I have found that many of the glass plate negatives taken by Joseph Hardman, capture boats, people or animals within the setting of lakes including Wastwater, Windermere and Ullswater. Perhaps of particular interest with the current redevelopment of the Windermere Steamboat Museum by The Lakeland Arts Trust, are the many boats that have served on the multiple lakes of the Lake District throughout history. In this post, I will look at one steamboat captured in Joseph Hardman's negatives called the 'Lady of the Lake' who in my opinion, has a very interesting biography.

Launched in 1845 and in service until 1865, the 'Lady of the Lake' was the first steamboat to operate on an English Lake. A launching ceremony on the 26th June 1877 took place at Newby Bridge and it was reported in the Illustrated London News. The vessel was built by Richard Ashburner of Greenodd for Windermere Steam Yacht Company.After completion, Lady of the Lake was 80ft in length, had a beam of 11.5ft, measured a depth of 6.4ft and was installed with a steam engine of 20 hp. The vessel weighed in after completion at 42.7 tonnes.

Her construction was predominantly wood with a short bowsprit and a tall funnel which sat behind the paddle boxes. The funnel was painted black with a single broad white stripe. Her hull was finished in black and gold with a white figurehead. The Lady of the Lake had her maiden voyage to Ambleside, during which the Kendal Cavalry band played for passengers travelling on the voyage. The vessel was originally built as a screw steamer but had to be converted to a paddle steamer due to the water at Newby Bridge being too shallow. In her role as a paddle steamer, the Lady of the Lake aided travel along the River Leven to a terminus at the Swan Hotel.The Lady of the Lake had a maximum capacity of 200 passengers, offering first class travel in a saloon fitted with mirrors and carpets.

Originally the Lady of the Lake was designed by Mr Douglas Hebson of Penrith and was built in Glasgow by Joseph Seath & Company. The parts for the Steamer had to be transported in three sections by rail to Penrith, then by horse to the waterside where the vessel was constructed at Elder Beck.

During the last week of the digitisation project, I came across some unusual images of what appeared to be a half sunken vessel at moorings. After carrying out some research, I have established that the vessel captured in the negatives may have been the Lady of the Lake, who it is recorded, sank twice. She first sank at her moorings in 1881 and then again during a severe storm in 1958. Fortunately, although damaged by these events, the vessel was still salavgable and was kindly restored by Lord Wakefield and was relaunched on the 19th May 1979.

Some images of the Lady of the Lake can be seen in this blog, both captured through Joseph Hardman's glass plate negatives and also some more recent colour photographs of her in action.

References:

Windermere Lake Cruises-Company History (Website)
www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk/aboutus-details.php?id=6

Windermere Historic Boat Collection-Steamboat Museum (Website)
www.steamboats.org.uk/windermere-historic-boat-collection

Colour Photograph of Lady of the Lake by Steve T
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/34759699

Half sunken Lady of the Lake (Joseph Hardman Archive- Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry)



Half sunken Lady of the Lake




More recent colour photograph of Lady of the Lake