On Wednesday 17th September 1958 Bristol Queen was de-stored and prepared for her winter lay-up having finished her summer season the previous day.
For her last day in service on Tuesday 16th September she was scheduled to be away from Bristol (9.35am) for the express run down the Avon to Clevedon (10.40am), Barry (12.05pm) and then down Channel to Ilfracombe (2.05pm). She was then rostered to offer a cruise away from Ilfracombe (2.20pm) along to Devon Coast to off Lynmouth and then back to Ilfracombe (4.30pm) for Barry (6.30pm), Weston (7.15pm), Clevedon (7.45pm) and Bristol (8.50pm).
Meanwhile on the 17th Cardiff Queen was scheduled to make the last trips of the season from Swansea (9am), Mumbles (9.20am) and Porthcawl (10.20am) for Ilfracombe (12.05pm) and Lundy (1.35pm – 4.15pm) for Ilfracombe (5.50pm), Mumbles (7.30pm), Swansea (8pm) and Porthcawl (9pm).
She then set off from Porthcawl (9.10pm) for a single trip to Barry (10.45pm), Penarth (11.15pm) and Cardiff (11.30pm) so that she was positioned to take over from Bristol Queen at Cardiff the next day.
On Thursday 18th Bristol Queen moved to lay up for the winter in Penarth Dock. With P & A Campbell then in deep financial trouble it would be 1961 before she was back in steam again.
Kingswear Castle returned to service in 2023 after the first part of a major rebuild which is designed to set her up for the next 25 years running on the River Dart. The Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust is now fund raising for the second phase of the rebuild. You can read more about the rebuilds and how you can help if you can here.
John Megoran
This article was first published on 17th September 2020.
