Kingswear Castle Britain's last steam powered river paddle steamer
1924 - 2024
Sail on
Kingswear Castle
Kingswear Castle has finished her 2025 season. She will return in 2026 for her 102nd year of service.
Kingswear Castle is operated on behalf of the Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company.
Click on the button below to visit the operator’s website for timetable and ticketing information.
History of
Kingswear Castle
Built in 1924 for service on the River Dart in Devon between Dartmouth and Totnes, Kingswear Castle was withdrawn in 1965.
Purchased by volunteers in 1967 who painstakingly restored her to operating condition over ten years, entering service on the Medway and the Thames in 1985.
In 2012 she returned home to the Dart.
Support
Kingswear Castle
Kingswear Castle returned to service in 2023 after the first part of a major rebuild. We are continuing to fund raise for the second phase.
Find out how you can help with this to secure her future for the next twenty five years.
For information and enquiries regarding tickets, timetables and sailing updates please visit the Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company website www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk or call 01803 555 872.
Uri Out on Trials
Uri was in steam and running trials on Lake Lucerne on Wednesday 25th March. As you can see in the pic the deck seats are still wrapped up for her
19th March 2026:
KC Rebuild Phase 2 Update
Members of the Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust board, along with PSPS Chairman John Allen, visited KC in the Dartmouth shipyard on Thursday 19th March to see how the work
4th February 2026:
Peter Walker Obituary
Peter Walker, who died on 29th December 2025, had a three-pronged career as Merchant Navy officer, Accountant and Farmer. Born in 1941 he went to sea as a cadet with
John Megoran recalls the heyday and decline paddle steamers, particularly the Weymouth based paddle steamers that he grew up with. He did not know then that he would go on to help restore, manage and be principal captain of Kingswear Castle for nearly 30 years.
25th March 1967:
Caledonia
Easter was early in 1967 and the weather terrible with wind, rain and heavy seas. Although both Waverley and Caledonia were rostered to be out from 24th to the 27th March, passenger
27th March 1960:
Princess Elizabeth
On Sunday 27th March 1960 Princess Elizabeth was in a mud berth at Northam, a suburb of Southampton, being prepared for a new career running excursions from Torquay. In 1958 Red Funnel
26th March 1951:
Pride of Devon
On Monday March 26th 1951 Pride of Devon was in the scrapyard at Grays in Essex having been towed round from Southampton where she had been laid up since the
24th March 1970:
Eppleton Hall (Part 11 of 11)
On Tuesday 24th March 1970 Eppleton Hall completed her more than 8,000 nautical mile marathon across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal and on up the west Coast of North America
The latest threefour of 0 paddle steamer orientated articles produced monthly by John Megoran, author, manager and principal captain of Kingswear Castle for nearly 30 years on both the Medway and Thames as well as the River Dart.
March 2026:
Paddle Steamer Captain Pensions
To some extent there has been some sort of support for the elderly since Medieval times through family, charity, guilds or the church but it was not until the 19C
February 2026:
Three Sandsfoot Captains
After the First World War a London builder named Edwin Denton set himself up in Weymouth. He bought the land overlooking Portland Harbour between Sandsfoot Castle and the beach in
January 2026:
Three Men in a Boat
Note the eau de nil green paint. This was around the time that surgeons started to wear green gowns in operating theatres allegedly because it was a more soothing colour
December 2025:
Same But Different
When airlines order new planes they often do so in batches. “We’ll have ten like that please.” And when they come all ten are the same in pretty much every
