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This website has no connection with any shipping company, cruise line, boat operator or other commercial organisation
Dorset Belles
J.Bolson & Sons - Croson Ltd - Dorset Cruises
This page is devoted to photographs and postcards of Bournemouth-based Dorset Belles, previously Bolson then Croson. They operate services from Bournemouth to Swanage, Poole, Yarmouth etc. The 2005 fleet consisted of
Dorset Belle
,
Poole Belle (2)
and
Bournemouth Belle
, but
Poole Belle (2)
was sold to Forth Boat Tours before the 2006 season, for cruises from Queensferry.
To sail on these boats contact:-
www.dorsetcruises.co.uk
Bournemouth became a fashionable resort in the mid-1800s, and became more popular with the arrival of the railway in 1870. The town had its first jetty in 1856, and the first pleasure steamers called in 1861. Paddle steamers dominated long distance excursions until the 1950s, but there were also smaller local boats running from portable beach jetties, and the provision of these was dominated by the Bolson family and their successors from around the turn of the century.
John Henry Bolson first acquired a license to offer rowing boats for hire from the beach in 1900, and was soon joined in the business by his two sons Jake and Charlie. Jake later decided to set up on his own, and soon had a larger fleet than his father.
The first recorded motor boat at Bournemouth was in 1907, and Jake Bolson received permission to operate one from the in 1913. This was the
Skylark
, and commenced trips around the bay carrying 12 passengers in 1914.
Skylark
resumed service after the war in 1919, and from 1920 she could be operated from beach using a portable landing stage. She was joined by
Skylark 2
that year and
Skylark
was renamed as
Skylark 1
.
Skylark 2
was larger, being 30 feet long and carrying 38 passengers. Two further launches
Skylark 3
and
Skylark 4
followed in 1921,
Skylark 4
being larger again at 40 feet and 68 passengers.
Skylark 3
was renamed
Skylark 1
in 1922, when a new
Skylark 3
and
Skylark 5
were delivered. Further vessels were acquired over the years, culminating with
Skylark 10
in 1936. From 1928, a series of 12 speedboats were also operated named
Speedlark
to
Speedlark 9
(these had short lives and some numbers were repeated), the last being delivered in 1938.
Jake Bolson and Son became a limited company in 1930, as was the associated Skylark Shipyard.
Skylark 8, Skylark 9
and
Skylark 10
were built by his company, the last of these being their first diesel (which was soon replaced with petrol due to noise problems). The small open Skylarks were unsuited to some of the longer cruises being operated by this time, and so two of the launches were replaced by larger motor vessels with covered accommodation. These arrived in 1936 and 1937 and were named
Titlark 1
and
Titlark 2
. These were 70 feet long and carried 150 passengers. They eventually passed to
Thames Launches
as
Okra
and
Oleander
after the war.
During the 1939-45 war, the Bolson shipyard was extremely busy building vessels for the war effort. Trips resumed after war in August 1945. Because of delays in getting the larger competing paddle steamers of Cosens and Red Funnel back into service after war service, and problems with Bournemouth Pier, Bolson converted three landing craft into makeshift excursion boats carrying 271 passengers. These were named
Bournemouth Skylark 4, 5 & 6
,
and were used on longer services to Swanage, Poole etc. They were offered for sale in August 1946 once paddle steamers could again call at the pier.
A new jetty was completed in 1948, and two new excursion boats,
Bournemouth Belle (1)
and
Poole Belle (1)
, joined the fleet. Built at Bolson's yard, they were 72 feet long, carried 150 passengers, and were powered by Gray Marine diesels driving twin screws. They were updated versions of the pre-war
Titlarks
. In the same year, an ex-Admiralty 112 foot Fairmile 'B' launch was converted to carry 250 passengers as the
Channel Belle
. She had twin dummy funnels and two masts, but was sold after 2 seasons. By this time, Jake Bolson was being assisted by his son-in-law Richard Crosby. Also in 1948, competition arrived in the form of the Poole and Solent Navigation Company , who ran three Fairmile 'B' motor launches named
Anzio
,
Dunkirk
and
Matapan
from Poole to Swanage and the Isle of Wight. These vessels,
Anzio
,
Dunkirk
and
Matapan
, were acquired by Bolsons in 1952, although
Anzio
was resold immediately and not used by Bolsons. All the small Skylark launches were withdrawn, leaving
Bournemouth Belle (1)
,
Poole Belle (1)
,
Dunkirk
and
Matapan
in the fleet.
Dunkirk
and
Matapan
retained their blue hulls, whilst the Bolson boats had white hulls. Their funnels were buff, with the letters 'JB' on a black-bordered white diamond, superimposed on red, white and blue bands.
A new company was formed in 1958 to take over the four motor vessels of J.Bolson and Sons. The new company was named Croson Limited, The name being a combination of the names
Cro
sby and Bol
son
. The initial 'C' replaced the previous 'JB' on funnels, but colours were otherwise unchanged.
Dunkirk
was sold the same year.
The decline in the
Cosens
fleet of paddle steamers (owned by
Red Funnel
since 1946) meant that only
Embassy
survived in 1961, and she concentrated on Bournemouth-Isle of Wight services, rather than the Swanage ferry. Crosons began a joint service with Cosens between Bournemouth and Swanage, with
Matapan
generally taking trips from Monday to Saturday, and Cosens'
Embassy
working on Sundays. For the 1962 season, another Fairmile 'B', the
Silver Commodore
, was acquired from
Commodore Shipping
of Guernsey. She was renamed
Swanage Belle
and had a black hull. Competition was faced from the paddle steamers
Swanage Queen
(ex-
Freshwater
) in 1961, and
Princess Elizabeth
in 1962.
Poole Belle (1)
was sold after the 1963 season, and
Bournemouth Belle (1)
followed in 1967.
Cosens
paddle steamer
Embassy
was withdrawn before the 1967 season, and Crosons acquired the 1948 Bridlington motor vessel
Thornwick
to replace her. She could carry 305-335 passengers on Class III/Class IV certificates, and operated trips to Totland Bay and Yarmouth in the Isle of Wight. Croson now had a monopoly of Bournemouth pleasure services.
Thornwick
was extensively refitted before the 1968 season. However, she proved too slow for the Isle of Wight runs, at only 10/11 knots, and Croson acquired the
Coronia
from
Scarborough
. She could carry 452 passengers and had a speed of 12 knots. The fleet was renamed with
Coronia
and
Thornwick
becoming the
Bournemouth Queen
and
Swanage Queen
, and
Matapan
and
Swanage Belle
were renamed
Poole Belle (2)
and
Wessex Belle
. Also in 1968, the hovercraft HM2 003 competed between Bournemouth and Swanage for two months. Croson ran trials with the Denny sidewall
D2 002
but decided she was not suitable for local conditions.
The
Swanage Queen
was laid up for the 1970 season, and was sold in December. Isle of Wight services were concentrated on Yarmouth only. The Fairmile launches covered
Swanage Queen
's Bournemouth-Swanage trips. Hovercraft again appeared as competition between 1970-1973, with International Hoverservices Ltd running the HM2 craft numbers 012 and 005.
In the mid-1970s the fleet was getting old, and three new vessels were built by J.Bolson & Sons:
Dorset Belle
(1974 - 81 feet - 178 passengers),
Bournemouth Belle
(1975 - 86 feet - 228 passengers) and
Poole Belle (3)
(1977 - 93 feet - 250 passengers). Swanage pier was closed in 1983, and
Dorset Belle
was sold. She was re-acquired in 1997. These three vessels have maintained services since, until
Poole Belle (3)
was sold in 2006 for services on the Forth. There were reports in 2007 that the company was again available for sale.
For details of cruises contact the company directly at:
www.dorsetcruises.co.uk
Boats on this Page:-
Anzio
(1952)
- not used in service
Bournemouth Belle (1)
(1948-1967)
Bournemouth Belle (2)
(1975- )
Bournemouth Queen
(1968-1973)
Bournemouth Skylark 4
(1946)
Bournemouth Skylark 5
(1946)
Bournemouth Skylark 6
(1946)
Channel Belle
(1948-1949)
HMS Decibel
- intended to be Bournemouth Belle - 1951)
Dorset Belle
(1974-1983, 1997- )
Dunkirk
(1952-1958)
Matapan
(1952-1968)
-
renamed
Poole Belle (2)
Poole Belle (1)
(1948-1964)
Poole Belle (2)
(1968-1977)
-
ex-
Matapan
Poole Belle (3)
(1977- )
Silver Commodore
(1962)
-
renamed
Swanage Belle
Skylark 1-9 launches
Skylark 1
(1946-1947)
Skylark 10
(1936)
Speedlark 1-9 speedboats
Swanage Belle
(1962-1968)
-
renamed
Wessex Belle
Swanage Queen
(1968-1970)
-
ex-
Thornwick
Thornwick
(1967-1968)
-
renamed
Swanage Queen
Titlark 1
(1936-1939)
Titlark 2
(1937-1939, 1947-1948)
Wessex Belle
(1968-1973)
ex-
Swanage Belle
Dorset Area Pages:-
Poole Header Page
Blue Line Cruises
Brownsea Island Ferries
R.C.Greenslade
Sandbanks Ferry
Solent Steam Packet Ltd
- SS Shieldhall
Associated Pages:-
www.dorsetcruises.co.uk
- Details of cruises
Fairmile 'B' Header Page
- List of Fairmile 'B' launches used in the UK
UK Excursion Ships
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards
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Recent Updates
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References:-
Any more for the Skylark?
- Written and published by David L.Chalk
- 1980 (The Story of Bournemouth's Pleasure Boats)
Trip Out Guides
- Written and published by G.P.Hamer
- various editions from 1977 to 2005 consulted
Trip Out Guides are available from Geoffrey Hamer, PO Box 485, Southall, UB1 9BH
Table of Ship Histories
Name
Other names
Built
Bournemouth Belle
1975
Bournemouth Queen
Coronia (1), Queen of Scots, Rochester Queen (4)
1935
Dorset Belle
Island Adventure, Ryde Scene
1974
Dorset Belles
J.Bolson & Sons - Croson Ltd - Dorset Cruises
Skylark 1-9 (launches)
The first recorded motor boat at Bournemouth was in 1907, and Jake Bolson received permission to operate one from the in 1913. This was the
Skylark
, and commenced trips around the bay carrying 12 passengers in 1914.
Skylark
resumed service after the war in 1919, and from 1920 she could be operated from beach using a portable landing stage. She was joined by
Skylark 2
that year and
Skylark
was renamed as
Skylark 1
.
Skylark 2
was larger, being 30 feet long and carrying 38 passengers. Two further launches
Skylark 3
and
Skylark 4
followed in 1921,
Skylark 4
being larger again at 40 feet and 68 passengers.
Skylark 3
was renamed
Skylark 1
in 1922, when a new
Skylark 3
and
Skylark 5
were delivered. Further vessels were acquired over the years, culminating with
Skylark 10
in 1936.
Photograph of two
Skylark
launches plus a Speedlark motor boat
Scan: Chris Wood
Speedlark 1-9 (speedboats)
From 1928, a series of 12 speedboats were also operated named
Speedlark
to
Speedlark 9
(these had short lives and some numbers were repeated), the last being delivered in 1938.
Photograph of
Skylark
launches plus a Speedlark motor boat
Scan: Chris Wood
Skylark 10
(1936)
Skylark 10
was built in 1936, but sold for Thames service at the end of that season. She was 48 feet long and carried 99 passengers. She was first diesel in the Bolson fleet, although the engine was soon replaced with a petrol engine due to noise problems. She was the last of the eleven pre-war
Skylarks
(some numbers were re-used) which had run trips around the bay since 1914.
On the Thames she was named
Skylark X
, and initially operated for P.J.& R.F.Jackson until 1957. Subsequent owners were Thompson's Launches (1957-65), Alfred Crouch (1966-70), Tideway pass \boats (1971-76) and F & B Boats of Kingston from 1976.
Photo of
Skylark X
on the Thames.
Titlark 1
(1936)
Titlark 1
and
Titlark 2
were built for the longer cruises from Bournemouth to the 'Dorset Lakes'. They were fitted with Parson's petrol/paraffin engines driving twin screws and were equipped with radio. Accommodation for 150 passengers was provided for including saloons, bar/buffet and toilets, was a considerable advance on the earlier open launches previously operated.
The
Titlarks
were impressive 70ft passenger yachts, but had difficulty in operating from the existing beach landing stage. Permission was obtained to build a permanent timber jetty on the East Beach, but this was not completed before the start of World War 2.
After war service,
Titlark 1
was sold to Holiday Camp Cruises Ltd, then to Dawson, Newman & Westall, and by 1952 to County Cruises of London. She passed to Thames Launches on the 8th June 1957 and was renamed
Okra
. Registry closed on 19th July 1965.
Photograph of
Titlark 1
taken just after being launched
Scan: Chris Wood
Click to open larger image in new window
Titlark 2
(1937)
Titlark 1
and
Titlark 2
were built for the longer cruises from Bournemouth to the 'Dorset Lakes'. They were fitted with Parson's petrol/paraffin engines driving twin screws and were equipped with radio. Accommodation for 150 passengers was provided for including saloons, bar/buffet and toilets, was a considerable advance on the earlier open launches previously operated.
The
Titlarks
were impressive 70ft passenger yachts, but had difficulty in operating from the existing beach landing stage. Permission was obtained to build a permanent timber jetty on the East Beach, but this was not completed before the start of World War 2.
After war service,
Titlark 2
returned to service for the 1947/48 seasons before being sold to County Cruises to join
Titlark 1
. Ownership passed to Thames Launches on the 8th June 1957, along with
Titlark 1
, and she was renamed
Orleander
. Withdrawn in 1968, she was converted to a houseboat.
Photograph of
Titlark 2
Scan: Chris Wood
Click to open larger image in new window
Bournemouth Skylark 4
(1946)
Bournemouth Skylark 5
(1946)
Bournemouth Skylark 6
(1946)
During the 1939-45 war, the Bolson shipyard was extremely busy building vessels for the war effort. Trips resumed after war in August 1945. Because of delays in getting the larger competing paddle steamers of Cosens and Red Funnel back into service after war service, and problems with Bournemouth Pier, Bolson converted three landing craft into makeshift excursion boats carrying 271 passengers. These were named
Bournemouth Skylark 4, 5
and
6
,
and were used on longer services to Swanage, Poole etc. They were offered for sale in August 1946 once paddle steamers could again call at the pier.
The vessels were all of LCG(M)(1) Class (Landing Craft gun, Medium Mark 1). The conversions did little to alter the character of the vessels. The aft deck house incorporated the bar/buffet and toilets, whilst there was a saloon below decks. They were powered by Davey Paxman diesels driving twin screws, giving a speed af 12 knots. They differed in appearance, as shown in the image below, with
Bournemouth Skylark 4
&
5
having funnels but different foremasts.
Bournemouth Skylark 6
had no funnel and single mast with a short cross above the bridge. The lifeboats on
Bournemouth Skylark 5
had Welin davits whilst
Bournemouth Skylark 4
&
6
had radial davits. A fourth LCG(M)(1) was also converted by Bolson, becoming the
Rochester Queen (2)
of the General Steam Navigation.
Bournemouth Skylark 4
was sold to France in 1947 and ran as
Gallus
for the Nice-based operator of the same name. She moved to Naples in 1965 as
Pompei.
Bournemouth Skylark 5
went to Jersey as
Dames des Iles
, but left for the Far East in 1948.
Bournemouth Skylark 6
was used as a mother ship for fishing boats in Norway, as
Barge
and
Svan
.
Bournemouth Skylark 5, 4
and 6 at Bournemouth
Scan: Chris Wood
Click to open larger image in new window
Skylark 1
(1946-1947)
Skylark 1
was an ex-Admiralty launch of 48 feet. She carried 74 passengers and ran in the 1946 and 1947 seasons. She was then sold to Falmouth owners and was renamed
Marina II
. She moved to the Dart in 1978.
Skylark 1
in Falmouth service as
Marina II
.
She retains Croson colours without the letter 'C' in the diamond.
Click to open larger image in new window
Bournemouth Belle (1)
(1948-1967)
Two new excursion boats,
Bournemouth Belle (1)
and
Poole Belle (1)
, joined the fleet in 1948. Built at Bolson's yard, they were 72 feet long, carried 150 passengers, and were powered by Gray Marine diesels diving twin screws. They were updated versions of the pre-war
Titlarks
.
Bournemouth Belle (1)
was sold in 1967 to R.H.Wills of Weymouth who renamed her
Weymouth Belle
. She later served in Scotland as
Souter's Lass
at Cromarty, John O' Groats and Fort William.
Sun Ray postcard by Thunder & Clayden (Bournemouth) of
Bournemouth Belle (1)
Click to open larger image in new window
Harvey Barton postcard of
Bournemouth Belle (1)
and
Poole Belle (1)
Click to open larger image in new window
Photograph of
Bournemouth Belle (1)
Scan: Chris Wood
Click to open larger image in new window
Photograph of
Bournemouth Belle (1)
Scan: Chris Wood
Click to open larger image in new window
J.Arthur Dixon postcard PSC26654 of
Souter's Lass
(ex-
Bournemouth Belle
) at John O' Groats
Photo: Ronald Woods
Click to open larger image in new window
Crannog postcard of
Souter's Lass
(ex-
Bournemouth Belle
) at Fort William
Click to open larger image in new window
Seal Island Cruises timetable card for
Souter's Lass
out of Fort William
Click to open larger image in new window
Poole Belle (1)
(1948-1964)
Two new excursion boats,
Bournemouth Belle (1)
and
Poole Belle (1)
, joined the fleet in 1948. Built at Bolson's yard, they were 72 feet long, carried 150 passengers, and were powered by Gray Marine diesels diving twin screws. They were updated versions of the pre-war
Titlarks
.
Poole Belle (1)
was sold to the Grosvenor Hotel in Swanage in 1964 and renamed
Grosvenor Hostess
. In 1965 she became the
Tara
in Dublin before returning to Paignton as the
Coral Star III
. In 1989
Coral Star III
was purchased by
Invicta Line
for use on the River Medway. She was not used and was sold again the following year to S.Wide of Bristol, serving with them as
Avon Venturer II
(replacing an
Avon Venturer
of 1935). She operated charters from Bristol and some public sailings from Penarth until around 1996.
Postcard of
Poole Belle (1)
Click to open larger image in new window
Harvey Barton postcard of
Bournemouth Belle (1)
and
Poole Belle (1)
Click to open larger image in new window
J.Hinde postcard of
Poole Belle (1)
as
Grosvenor Hostess
Click to open larger image in new window
Poole Belle (1)
as
Coral Star III
In 1989
Coral Star III
was purchased by Invicta Line for use on the River Medway. She was not used and was sold again the following year.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, River Medway, 1989
Click to open larger image in new window
Poole Belle (1)
as
Coral Star III
(plus
Clyde
)
In 1989
Coral Star III
was purchased by Invicta Line for use on the River Medway. She was not used and was sold again the following year.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, River Medway, 1989
Click to open larger image in new window
Poole Belle (1)
as
Avon Venturer II
Scan: Chris Wood
Click to open larger image in new window
Channel Belle
(1948-1949)
A third addition to the fleet in 1948 was the
Channel Belle
, an ex-Admiralty Fairmile 'B'. She was converted to carry 250 passengers, and her original petrol engines being replaced with Gay Marine diesels. She was sold to Wallasey Corporation in November 1949 and renamed
Wallasey Belle
. She went to Australia in in 1953, reverting to
Channel Belle
.
Photograph of
Channel Belle
Scan: Chris Wood
Click to open larger image in new window
LPhotograph of
Wallasey Belle
(ex-
Channel Belle
)
Scan: Chris Wood
Click to open larger image in new window
HMS Decibel
(intended to be Bournemouth Belle - 1951)
HMS Decibel
was built by J.Bolson & Sons (yard no.469) in 1951, intended for services from Bournemouth to the Isle of Wight. She was due to be named
Bournemouth Belle
, but the return of paddle stemers after war service caused her sale to the Admiralty before entering service. She was named
HMS Decibel
and was used as an acoustic trials ship.
The launch of
Bournemouth Belle
Scan: Chris Wood
Click to open larger image in new window
HMS Decibel
in naval service