Kingswear Castle Britain's last steam powered river paddle steamer
Sail on
Kingswear Castle
Kingswear Castle is operated on behalf of the Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company.
Kingswear Castle will not be sailing during 2022 while she undergoes a year-long major rebuild. She will return to service in 2023.
Meantime you can still enjoy summer sails on the River Dart by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company.
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Built in 1924 for service on the River Dart in Devon between Dartmouth and Totnes, Kingswear Castle was withdrawn in 1965.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
It is now more than thirty-five years since we returned Kingswear Castle to service. A year-long major rebuild commenced in winter 2021 that will see her return to service again in 2023.
Find out more about the rebuild and how you can help secure her future for the next thirty-five years.
23rd May 2022:
KC to Return to Service in 2023
The plan of campaign for KC’s major rebuild had been to undertake the work over three winters. However so far this winter and spring things have gone so well that
23rd April 2022:
KC Update
As the scale of the necessary work for Phase 1 of KC’s rebuild has unfolded as the aft part of the ship has been dismantled her return to service this
2nd April 2022:
KC Rebuild Presentation
Click on the link below to tune in to John Megoran’s YouTube presentation about rebuilding paddle steamers in general and Kingswear Castle in particular:
July 2022:
Embassy’s Catering 1960s
Embassy had her galley positioned on the port side sponson abaft the paddle box. The porthole closest to the camera in this picture was for the pantry which contained a
June 2022:
Thames & Sussex Coast Revival 1969
Although the excursion trade initially boomed in the aftermath of the Second World War, by the middle of the 1950s it was in steep decline. By the second half of
May 2022:
Brighton Trips 1910
In late May and early June of 1910 P & A Campbell’s steamer trips from the Sussex Coast piers at Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings were in the hands of their
April 2022:
North Wales 1938
In the summer season of 1938 either the St Tudno or the St Seiriol was due away from the Liverpool Landing Stage at 10.45am every day up to September 26th
