Introduction to the Mersey Ferries

A Mersey ferry was recorded in the Domesday Book, and for around a thousand years, they have plied between Birkenhead and Wallasey on the Wirral and Liverpool.

The sail and man-powered craft gave way to steam ferries in 1815. In this book, Ian Collard tells the story of the Mersey ferries, concentrating on the steam and diesel powered eras from 1815 to the present day and including such famous ferries as Iris and Daffodil, which were involved in the Zeebrugge Raid of 1918.

The Cultural Significance of the Ferries

The Mersey ferries have been immortalized in song, and even today, with the various tunnels under the Mersey, the three survivors of today, Snowdrop, Royal Iris of the Mersey and Royal Daffodil, are still being used by locals and tourists alike.

Visual History and Storytelling

Using around 160 old and new images, he tells the story of the Ferries across the Mersey, showing a river that was once teeming with ships but is now much quieter.