POPULAR historic cruise ship MV Balmoral is to return to Lydney for three cruises this year, two in July, and one on August Bank Holiday Monday.

The ship, which is now owned by the heritage charity White Funnel Line, will be offering the chance to cruise the Bristol Channel, with stops including Clevedon, Ilfracombe and Penarth, plus the unique opportunity to sail underneath both of the Severn bridges.

The first trip will take place on Friday July 17, when the ship will be leaving Lydney at 8.45am, before visiting Sharpness, Clevedon, and Ilfracombe, then a cruise around Bideford bay, before her return up the channel to Penarth, where coaches will convey passengers back to Lydney and Sharpness.

A shorter cruise will be offered on Friday July 24 when the ship will be 'calling in' to Lydney at 12.45pm after she has travelled from Penarth to Clevedon, after which she returns to Clevedon, finally arriving at Penarth at 3.30pm, when coaches will leave to return to Lydney by around 6 pm.

Finally, the recently-restored ship, which spent time earlier this year in the dry dock at Sharpness, will return on Bank Holiday Monday August 31.

This excursion, which will almost certainly sell out in a few days, sees the ship leaving Clevedon at 6.45am, to arrive at Lydney and take on passengers at around 8.45am. She then travels down to Ilfracombe, via Sharpness and Clevedon, before an afternoon cruise around Morte Point, before a return to Penarth. Passengers will have the choice of staying at Clevedon, with coaches leaving for Lydney around 4pm, to arrive back at 6.15pm, or from Penarth, arriving at 10.15pm.

The ship has a new master, Captain Steve Mallet, who joined the crew in early May. His career started in 1966, and covers a multitude of different craft, including container ships.

Captain Mallett commented: "I've always had a soft spot for old ships, and over the years have worked on quite a few. As a child I used to go for trips from Southend on the old Medway Queen, Queen of the Channel, and the Royal Daffodil with my late father, who was a steamer fanatic.

"When the Balmoral job came along I thought it would be a really nice way to round off my career on a classic coastal passenger ship."

•The Tall Ships Festival, held at Gloucester Docks, attracted over 120,000 people over the May Bank Holiday weekend, and gave visitors a chance to get a close look at six of the iconic vessels, as well as joining in with large scale pirate battles.

On leaving, the ships returned down the Sharpness canal, and thence to the River Severn and then down the Bristol Channel.

Photographer Richard Clammer caught the scene above, as the Dutch brigantine ship Morgenster, built in 1919, and the Welsh topsail schooner Vilma, built in 1934, sailed downstream.

The unusual sight of the two tall ships together was photo­graphed as they passed the distinctive rocky point just above Beachley slipway.