The Solent Sea Steam Packet Company, later the Solent Steam Packet Company, operated ferry services between

Lymington Lymington is a port town on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest (district), New Forest district of Hampshire, England. The town faces Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, to which there is a Roll-on/roll-off, car ferry s ...

and Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight between 1841 and 1884.

History

In early 1841, the company purchased ''Glasgow'' from the ''Lymington, Yarmouth, Cowes and Portsmouth Steam Packet Company'', and after refitting, was deployed on the service between

and Yarmouth, operating three or four passages a day. In March 1841 they entered into a contract with the Post Office for the conveyance of mail between Lymington and Yarmouth. By 1842, the company had acquired another vessel, ''Solent'', which was running from Lymington to Yarmouth, Cowes, Ryde and Portsmouth. In 1858, ''Red Lion'' was added to the fleet to handle additional traffic brought by the railway. The company changed its name to the ''Solent Steam Packet Company'' in 1861. A second ''Solent'' replaced the first on 3 November 1863. ''Mayflower'' joined the fleet on 6 July 1866 had been built in Newcastle; she was tastefully fitted and comfortable. As well as plying to Yarmouth, she made excursion runs to Bournemouth, but was disposed of after 1878. On 1 July 1884, the

London and South Western Railway The London and South Western Railway (LSWR, sometimes written L&SWR) was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Originating as the London and Southampton Railway, its network extended to Dorchester and Weymouth, to Salisbury, Exete ...

bought out the Solent Steam Packet Company's fleet of two paddle steamers, ''Solent'' and ''Mayflower'', four horse and cargo boats, and other boats and property, paying £2,750 (equivalent to £ in ).

Ships

The vessels operated by the Solent Sea Steam Packet Company were:

References

{{Reflist Ferry transport in England Isle of Wight Defunct shipping companies of the United Kingdom Lymington British companies established in 1841 Transport companies established in 1841