Fantastic news following concerns earlier in the year about the destruction of the SRN4 Hovercraft. Ed
A deal has been signed between the Homes and Communities Agency and the Hovercraft Museum to save the Princess Anne, one of Britain’s last remaining cross-Channel hovercraft.
Built in 1969, “The Princess Anne” was the second of six giant hovercraft built in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. She was the world’s largest commercial hovercraft and ferried thousands of holidaymakers between Dover and Calais. “The Princess Anne” to this day still holds the Guinness Record as the world’s fastest ferry with a crossing time of just 22 minutes in 1997.
A Homes and Communities Agency spokesman said:
“This is a fantastic agreement which will allow the Hovercraft Museum to preserve a truly iconic machine as the centrepiece of their museum.
“We are committed to regenerating this area to create new homes and jobs, and we also take our responsibility to national heritage seriously. This solution will protect the ‘Princess Anne’, whilst also ensuring that the rest of the site can be developed to provide much-needed jobs and houses.”
Protecting a unique collection of British engineering
A spokesperson from the Hovercraft Museum Trust said:
“We are delighted to be able to preserve the ‘The Princess Anne’.
“The Trust understands the need to develop the rest of the site at Daedalus and is keen to work with all partners to ensure this happens smoothly, whilst also protecting a unique collection of British engineering.”
The Museum will initially lease the ‘Princess Anne’ for a three year period, while they undertake repairs and renovations.
The Government’s land, housing and regeneration agency has been trying to find a solution for the hovercraft since the transfer of the Daedalus site from SEEDA in 2011.
The former airbase in South Hampshire is being transformed by the HCA and partners into the area’s largest employment site.
Image: © Hovercraft Museum
