How the world’s last sea-going paddle steamer was bought for £1 – the Waverley returns to North Devon this June

The much-loved and historic Waverley paddle steamer returns to the Bristol Channel this June, but back in the mid-1970s she was facing the scrapyard.

Marking 50 years of her restoration, the Waverley will be calling in at Ilfracombe and Bideford as well as making local cruises to Lundy Island and Exmoor between Tuesday, June 3 and Sunday, June 15.

But half a century ago she was on the verge of being scrapped but was sold to two enthusiasts for the symbolic sum of one Scottish Pound.

How she was rescued is told in a new film, Saving Waverley, showcasing previously-unseen interviews with the two key figures involved and released as the ship celebrates her 50th anniversary of cruising with the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.

On a 2010 Waverley cruise to Lundy Island, Terry Sylvester and Douglas McGowan were recorded by journalist Nigel Heath and cameraman John Dakin telling how they bought the ship from the previous owners in 1974 for a Scottish £1 note.

A council grant allowed them to run the first cruise from Glasgow on May 22, 1975, but it took the enthusiastic support of Scotland’s Sunday Mail readers to enable them to carry on the next year and build a programme later extended to many UK ports.

Since then Waverley has gained thousands of fans around the country, recapturing the golden age of steamers and was named National Flagship of the Year 2024 by National Historic Ships UK.

North Devon residents and visitors are always delighted to see the historic ship, which is a magnet for photographers when she docks at Ilfracombe Pier or on Bideford Quay.

This year’s sailing season in the Bristol Channel includes several visits to Ilfracombe as part of a wider timetable taking in Wales and Somerset, but North Devon fans could board Waverley at Ilfracombe and take an afternoon trip to Lundy Island or an Exmoor coastal cruise.

She makes one visit to Bideford, on Saturday, June 7 and will be docked at the quay for an hour or so while Bideford Summer Fair is taking place, before cruising the River Torridge and taking in Bull Point lighthouse, with a bus connection back to Bideford from Ilfracombe in the early evening.

Above: The Waverley in Bideford. Credit: Graham Hobbs

The new film Saving Waverley will be available to buy on board and also includes a 60th anniversary cruise on her sister ship, the MV Balmoral, National Flagship of the Year 2016 and all profits will go to the two volunteer-run charities maintaining these historic vessels.

Priced at £16.50, including postage, the DVD is also available by going to https://tinyurl.com/y85xxcxh

For the full timetable of the Waverley’s North Devon sailing season, please go to https://waverleyexcursions.co.uk