Kingswear Castle Britain's last steam powered river paddle steamer

1924 - 2024
Sail on
Kingswear Castle
Kingswear Castle has finished her 2024 season. She will return for her 101st year in the Spring of 2025.
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Built in 1924 for service on the River Dart in Devon between Dartmouth and Totnes, Kingswear Castle was withdrawn in 1965.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.

26th December 2024:
New Role For PS Gallia 2025
For the 2025 season the SGV have announced a new role for their paddle steamer Gallia. She will be offering an exclusive four hour cruise on Lake Lucerne every day

24th December 2024:
Three New Captains for CGN
Three new paddle steamer captains for the CGN on Lake Geneva, Mrs. Sophie Aymon, as well as Mr. Dominique Jaunin and Mr. Rémy Gerber were sworn in on Wednesday, March

20th December 2024:
PS Simplon Report Published
The official report has now been published into the damage caused to the CGN’s paddle steamer Simplon lying alongside the tiny pier at Cully on Lake Geneva in a storm
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.

19th February 1966:
Vecta
After a refit by Cosens, Vecta left Weymouth around 10am on Thursday 17th February 1966 bound for Cardiff where she arrived around 8am on Saturday 19th. It had been a windy

18th February 1950:
Monarch
By Saturday 18th February 1950 the news was out that Cosens’s first and twin funnelled Monarch had been sold for scrap. On Tuesday 22nd February she was towed from the

17th February 1966:
Vecta
On Thursday 17th February 1966 Vecta left Weymouth around 10am for the passage down the Dorset, Devon and Cornish Coasts to Lands End and then on up the Bristol Channel to Cardiff

16th February 1962:
Swanage Queen
By Friday 16th February 1962 Captain Stuart M Townsend was the proud owner of the paddle steamer Swanage Queen then lying laid up at Topsham on the River Exe in
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.

February 2025:
Emperor of India 1922
P & A Campbell did not resume sailings on the Sussex Coast until 1923 so, seeing a gap in the market, two other organisations fielded one steamer each in 1922

January 2025:
Capt John Davey of Exmouth
Capt John Davey was born in Shaldon just down the road from Exmouth in 1844. He went to sea when he was eleven serving on various ships including Lord Raglan

December 2024:
St Trillo
In February 1963 P & A Campbell bought the St Trillo and the goodwill of the business which went with her in North Wales where primarily she had run short

November 2024:
Southampton/West Cowes by Paddle Steamer 1956
If you had wanted to travel between Southampton and West Cowes in 1956 you could have done it by paddle steamer aboard Princess Elizabeth but you would have had to


