PETER Fox, MS for Monmouth, visited the Severn Princess in Chepstow to celebrate her elevation to the UK Historic Ship Register and commemorate the 25th anniversary year of her rescue from Ireland.
Prior to the Severn Bridge construction, in the 1960s, the Princess was one of the ferries used to transport passengers and their cars from Aust to Beachley, across the River Severn.
Not only was the Princess revolutionary in her design, sporting a large turntable to rotate the cars, she also carried many famous faces across the Severn – from Bob Dylan, to The Beatles and royalty.
After being decommissioned, the Severn Princess found herself, damaged, on the West Coast of Ireland and was brought back to Wales just three days before her scheduled demolition, to be restored.
Mr Fox said: “The Severn Princess is an incredible part of our local history and the volunteers have done an excellent job to transform the ferry to her former glory.
“I welcome the news that she now sits on the Historic Ship Register, one of just 40 in Wales. She is a real asset to our community”
Trustee of the Severn Princess Dr Sue Kingdom said: “The Princess has the potential to become a real tourist attraction for Chepstow and we have some exciting plans lined up for her this year.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg of the story of the Severn Princess and we cannot wait to continue to share her history with as many people as possible.”
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