Kingswear Castle Britain's last steam powered river paddle steamer
Sail on
Kingswear Castle
Kingswear Castle sails on the River Dart each summer and is operated on behalf of the Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company.
For tickets, timetables and sailing information click the button below.
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Built in 1924 for service on the River Dart in Devon between Dartmouth and Totnes, Kingswear Castle was withdrawn in 1965.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
24th July 2021:
Fund Raising Trip
At 6.15pm on Saturday 24th July Kingswear Castle set off from the pontoon at Dartmouth for an evening cruise to help raise funds for the proposed rebuild of the ship
18th May 2021:
KC Returns to Service
Kingswear Castle returned to service on Tuesday 18th May 2021 taking the 12.15pm harbour cruise from Dartmouth on which she carried almost 80 passengers. The first steam train of the
11th May 2021:
KC Passenger Certificates Renewed
The MCA attended Kingswear Castle on Tuesday 12th May 2021 for her running trials and examined and monitored the testing of everything on the ship for the renewal of her
September 2021:
Day Trips from Bournemouth 1953
The 1953 season at Bournemouth opened in mid May with Monarch. She was joined by Embassy on Whit Sunday 24th May with Consul making her first appearance of the season
August 2021:
Bournemouth Queen August 1956
Built in 1908 for what became Red Funnel, Bournemouth Queen spent most of her peacetime summers running excursions from Bournemouth and Swanage up to 1950. After that she spent the
July 2021:
Brighton Sailings 1948
Before the Second World War P & A Campbell had generally provided three, and occasionally four, paddle steamers to run their services on the Sussex Coast from the piers at
June 2021:
Paddle Steamer Crested Eagle
Founded in the 18th century White’s Shipyard at Cowes on the Isle of Wight expanded substantially under the management of John Samuel White in the 19th century and in the
