A care home for ancient mariners has been opened by Princess Anne. The £4 million residence for former seafarers at Nautilus International’s Mariners’ Park Estate has been built on a 16-acre site on the banks of the river Mersey.

The Trinity House Hub has been built as part of a programme of new developments at Mariners’ Park, which has been providing support and services to seafarers in need since 1857 and presently provides accommodation for 160 retired seafarers and their dependants.

The programme included a new care home – which was opened by the Princess Royal in 2002 – and new flats and bungalows for retired seafarers.
The Deputy Master of Trinity House, Captain Ian McNaught, said ‘Throughout our 500 years we have had at the core of our organisation the principal of serving the mariner, past present and future. These new facilities are excellent and I am extremely pleased we have been able to contribute over £2m to provide them. They are a great legacy and will provide former mariners and their dependants with comfortable communal spaces that contribute to the feeling of community here for many years to come.’

Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson told guests at the opening event: ‘I believe that this building will provide a suitable commemoration for this anniversary for many decades to come.’

He said the new facilities would provide high quality accommodation and care services to many residents, as well as communal facilities available to them and everyone else in Mariners’ Park and the local maritime community.