The ''Portsmouth Queen'' was a vessel owned by the

Gosport Ferry Company Ltd The Gosport Ferry is a ferry service for pedestrians and cyclists operating between Gosport and Portsmouth in Hampshire, southern England. It is currently operated by Gosport Ferry Ltd, a subsidiary of the Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company Ltd, it ...

. It was built by

Thornycroft Thornycroft was an English vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977. History In 1896, naval engineer John Isaac Thornycroft formed the Thornycroft Steam Carriage and Van Company which built its firs ...

Woolston, Hampshire Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, Hampshire, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston. The area has a strong maritime and aviation history. The former ...

History

The vessel was built in 1966 to the exact design to the

Gosport Queen The ''Gosport Queen'' was a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd. It was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company, Thornycroft of Woolston, Hampshire. History

The vessel was built in 1966 to the exact design to the ''Portsmouth Queen'' ...

and was delivered in a green and white livery. Later, it was repainted into the now standard

Gosport Ferry The Gosport Ferry is a ferry service for pedestrians and cyclists operating between Gosport and Portsmouth in Hampshire, southern England. It is currently operated by Gosport Ferry Ltd, a subsidiary of the Portsmouth Harbour Ferry Company Ltd, i ...

colours. The vessel is no longer in service, but use to run alongside the new ''

Spirit of Gosport MV ''Spirit of Gosport'' is a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd and built by Abels Shipbuilders in Bristol. History ''Spirit of Gosport'' was built in 2001 to replace ''Portsmouth Queen'' on ferry duties. However, the company also w ...

'' or the ''

Spirit of Portsmouth MV ''Spirit of Portsmouth'' is a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd The Gosport Ferry is a ferry service for pedestrians and cyclists operating between Gosport and Portsmouth in Hampshire, southern England. It is currently operated ...

''. In the early days it was always hard to tell ''Portsmouth Queen'' apart from her twin sister

Gosport Queen The ''Gosport Queen'' was a vessel owned by the Gosport Ferry Company Ltd. It was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company, Thornycroft of Woolston, Hampshire. History

The vessel was built in 1966 to the exact design to the ''Portsmouth Queen'' ...

. The ''Portsmouth Queen'' was sold to Absolute Charters and left Gosport for the final time on 29 February 2016, to start a new life on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, and was renamed 'London Queen'. However, to date, work has stalled on the refit of the former Portsmouth Queen and the vessel remained in Queenborough and was once again up for sale. In April 2022, she was in the drying harbour in St Peter Port, Guernsey. However in June 2022 under tow she returned to the UK. Ferries of England Gosport Ferry 1966 ships Ships built by John I. Thornycroft & Company {{ferry-stub