Campaigners hope to bring Saltney-built steam ship RH Carr back to Flintshire

Dec 31 2009 by Dave Goodban, Chester Chronicle

A LITTLE piece of local history could be brought back to the Dee estuary if campaigners have their way.

History and shipping enthusiasts want a generous sponsor to pave the way for the RH Carr, one of the last steam ships to be built on the river, to return from Guyana, in South America.

Built at the J Crichton and Co shipyard in Saltney in 1926, the RH Carr was used to carry travellers on the Demerara river from the capital, Georgetown to the Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA).

Previous attempts to return the vessel – thought to be the last built at the Crichton yard – failed when Flintshire County Council said it had neither the resources nor the financial clout to pioneer the project.

“The RH Carr is part of the history of Saltney and the history of Flintshire,” said Cllr Klaus Armstrong-Braun, who is a member of Saltney History Group.

The former Saltney mayor wants to see the dilapidated ship, which is no longer in use, brought back and he said he would ‘love’ to see it grace the River Dee once more.

Cllr Armstrong-Braun believes the project would create jobs and generate much-needed money through tourism.

He said: “At the moment it’s just sitting there in South America, rotting away. Hopefully we can find someone to sponsor the project – let’s bring it home!”

It is believed it could cost up to £1.5m to return the RH Carr to Flintshire and restore it to its former glory. But campaigners are hopeful. Neville Shallcross, chairman of Saltney History Group, told the Chronicle it would be ‘hugely exciting’ to welcome the vessel back.

North Wales steam ship enthusiast Michael Knowles said: “I was the initiator of the project to return the ship to the River Dee and thereby generate both cultural awareness through tourism and economic activity through the restoration activities.

“Admittedly it requires considerable restoration but the vessel is well-documented and the task is not impossible.

“I have always seen the relevance to Saltney and Connah’s Quay of a restoration project to regenerate creative employment and act as a focus for intelligent tourism.”

He added: “Personally I have always thought that this project had obvious national significance for Wales, where there have been only a few steamship-building yards.”

A spokesman for Flintshire County Council said: “The idea to investigate the possibility of returning the ship to this area is well made, but unfortunately we do not have the capacity to lead on such a project.

“It has been suggested that perhaps a local interest group could form a working group to look at the feasibility of the idea, which the council could possibly be a part of.”