The MY ''Raven'' is a passenger vessel operating for

Ullswater 'Steamers' Ullswater 'Steamers' is a boat company which provides leisure trips on Ullswater in the north-eastern part of the English Lake District. It is based in Glenridding, Cumbria. Founded in 1855, it currently operates five diesel powered vessels bet ...

on the lake of

Ullswater Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being about long and wide, with a maximum depth a little over . It was scooped out by a glacier in the Last Ice Age. Geography It is a typical Lake District "ribbon lake", ...

in the English Lake District, where she has spent her entire working life. She was built in 1889 as a steam vessel, but converted to diesel power in 1934. She is a member of the

National Historic Fleet The National Historic Fleet is a list of historic ships and vessels located in the United Kingdom, under the National Historic Ships register. National Historic Ships UK is an advisory body which advises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media ...

. The ''Raven'' has a length of , a beam of and a draught of . Her gross tonnage is 63, and she can carry 150 passengers. She is the largest vessel in the Ullswater 'Steamers' fleet.

History

The M.Y. ''Raven'' was ordered by the Ullswater Steam Navigation Company, a predecessor of the current owners. Like her older sister ship, ''Lady of the Lake'', she was built by T.B. Seath & Co. at

Rutherglen Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...

near Glasgow, and transported overland from there to Ullswater, where she was launched on 11 July 1889. She was commissioned at the suggestion of

Thomas Cook Thomas Cook (22 November 1808 – 18 July 1892) was an English businessman. He is best known for founding the travel agency Thomas Cook & Son. He was also one of the initial developers of the "package tour" including travel, accommodatio ...

, in response to the growing popularity of Ullswater as a tourist destination, and because the previous year a breakdown of ''Lady of the Lake'' forced the cancellation of services. She was named after Ravencragg, the lakeside home of company director William Hugh Parkin. In 1912, ''Raven'' was made a temporary royal yacht when the German Emperor Wilhelm II visited Ullswater during his stay with the 5th Earl of Lonsdale at

Lowther Castle Lowther Castle is a country house in the historic county of Westmorland, which now forms part of the modern county of Cumbria, England. It has belonged to the Lowther family, latterly the Earls of Lonsdale, since the Middle Ages. It is a f ...

. Her decks were painted yellow, the Earl's personal colour, for the occasion. In 1934, ''Raven'' was converted from steam and fitted with twin diesel engines.

Gallery

File:Steam ferry 'Raven' approaching Howtown Pier, Ullswater - geograph.org.uk - 2040276.jpg, ''Raven'' approaching Howtown Pier File:Raven at Glenridding Pier (geograph 3916076).jpg, ''Raven'' at Glenridding File:MV 'Raven' undergoing refit - geograph.org.uk - 1171659.jpg, ''Raven'' on the slip at Waterside

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raven Ferries of England Ships and vessels of the National Historic Fleet Transport in Cumbria 1889 ships