West Briton Argus , Monday, January 12, 1981

NEW SITE SUGGESTED FOR STEAMER

VOYAGE BENEATH THE ROAD

For a start, there is the problem of how to get the 100-ton and 114 ft vessel into the rectangular pool. The space into which it has to fit is only eight feet longer than the vessel; and there is the road to cross,

Asked how he envisaged nestling the restaurant-cum-pub in place, Mr. Worlledge said: "No problem The vessel is flat-decked and only seven feet high. Once one of the paddle sides is cut off, it should sail under the relief road with ease."

He is paying £20,000 for the craft, which was built at the turn of the century in Falmouth And he is prepared to spend another £20,000 on extensive restoration work to the rver bed and bank.

Once the craft is in place Mr. Worlledge, who gave up his job as managing director of W. Penrose and Son, Truro, to promote his scheme is prepared to spend £100,000 on refurbishing the boat and landscaping the surrounding land.

But his plans are far from fruition yet. At Carrick Council's amenities committee meeting last week, maritime officer Capt. John Whitehouse urged members not to accept the new site.

"If the project failed”, he said, "the Compton Castle would be tightly wedged between two bridges In the centre of Truro.It would be up to Carrick to remove it”.

Planning Officer Mr Stephen Watson was in favour of the new site. It would be on a commercial site, he pointed out, and on highway grounds it would be marginally better situated than at Town Quay.

The committee voted not to make a decision on the new site until they heard the outcome of a county council site meeting to consider the Town Quay site. The county council opposed it on highway grounds.

Mr David Worlledge points out the bridge under which the vessel must pass to reach its new home.

THE promoter behind a scheme to turn a paddlesteamer into a floating restaurant and pub has come up with a new site for it - on the small stretch of Truro River between two bridges in Lemon Quay.

But the idea - like Mr. David Worlledge's first one, to moor the craft, Compton Castle, at Town Quay, on the otherside of the relief road- is fraught with difficulties.