PADDLE STEAMER 'CONSUL'

Pictured at the Railway Quay, early 1960's

By John Hills

Photo: Illustrative image for the 'PADDLE STEAMER 'CONSUL'' page

Hills private collection

This unusual visitor is the excursion paddle steamer Consul, operated by Cosens of Weymouth. She's moored at the corner of the East Quay, opposite the tug stage. The date must be after 1960, as records show she did not operate east of the Isle of Wight until then. Similar photos at Newhaven give a date of 1963.

The 'Dieppe screw' cargo steamer to the right is either Rennes or Nantes. Just to the left of Consul's mast are the Station Master's house and the Bonded Warehouse.

Consul was an old lady by this time, having been built for a rival excursion steamer company, P A Campbell, as Duke of Devonshire in 1896! She was taken over by Cosens and renamed Consul in 1938, but was suffering boiler and engine problems by the time this photo was taken.

This page was added by John Hills on 26/04/2009.
Comments about this page

Hi John
The ps Consul would have been here during the summer of 1962. I was working at the time for the Lyons Maid Ice Cream company in Estate Road . We fitted an ice cream freezer in her, I think that was the purpose of her visit.

By colin holden
On 27/04/2009

I concur with above comment. As a six or seven year old me and my brother were taken on a day trip by our parents on the PS Consul from Newhaven to Brighton in about 1962/1963. As I seem to recall there were very few other passengers on board that day and the sea was rough. It was definitely before the arrival of the Falaise and the car ferry era. The cargo ship which would normally have been loaded further south was either the Rennes, Nantes or the Brest. As far as I remember the Brighton and Arromanches were berthed further along

By Colin Hussey
On 01/11/2013
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