Chatham Steamers – The Paddle Steamers of the London Chatham & Dover Railway

The London Chatham & Dover Railway was the operator of the prestigious Dover to Calais cross-Channel service between 1864 and 1899. During this time it underwent a huge period of change from small, wooden hulled vessels of basic design to large, fast and efficient paddle steamers of steel construction.

The outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853 saw the government of the day seek to make savings which resulted in the Admiralty’s sale of their Dover – Calais service to local operators Jenkins & Churchward. The arrival of the London Chatham & Dover Railway in July 1861 eventually saw the commencement of railway ownership, which lasted until 1984 when the shipping division of British Rail (Sealink UK Ltd) was finally privatised.

Within the period under review, Victorian inventiveness saw the appearance of what were known as the ‘peculiars’; three strange vessels of unusual design which it was hoped would save the long-suffering public from sea-sickness.

As a railway company, the London Chatham & Dover Railway was frequently criticised for the poor quality of its rolling stock and its lamentable punctuality. In sharp contrast, under the control of Captain William Morgan RN, its Marine Department rose to the highest levels of efficiency and set the standard which was forthcoming throughout the entire period of railway ownership.

With unrestricted access to the British Newspaper Archive, the author has unearthed much previously unpublished material so that, for the first time, the fascinating story of the ships and operations of this period can be fully explained.

Softback 21cm x 21cm. 160 pages.