Monthly paddle steamer articles written by John Megoran, author, manager and principal captain of Kingswear Castle for nearly 30 years on the Medway and the Thames as well as the River Dart.
You can read more of John’s paddle steamer reminiscences in his regular Megoran’s Musings features on the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society website here.
Choose a year to see more Pictures of the Month:

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

October 2024:
KC’s 100th Birthday Pics
The paddle steamer Kingswear Castle celebrated her Centenary with a combined steam railway and river trip on Thursday 26th September. After a welcoming cup of coffee at Paignton guests boarded

September 2024:
Manning a Swiss Paddle Steamer
How are the Swiss paddle steamers manned and what is the route to becoming a captain? Each lake operates its own training scheme and structure but all require basically the

August 2024:
A Bournemouth Idyll
A lovely shot of Monarch alongside Bournemouth Pier. We know that Cosens bought her in time for the 1951 season and by 1954 she had acquired a crane on the

July 2024:
The Weymouth Paddle Steamer War
In 1964 just as overseas travel became a viable option for many, and widespread car ownership opened up opportunities previously only within the province of the better off, Weymouth suddenly

June 2024:
Boilers
Why did some paddle steamer boilers last longer than others? How come some elderly paddle steamers with careers way beyond their design lives took the same boiler with which they

May 2024:
Embassy 21st August 1958
Here is a lovely picture of Cosens’s Embassy coming into Totland Bay Pier on the Isle of Wight taken about 11.30am on Thursday 21st August 1958. Captain Rawle is on

April 2024:
Kingswear Castle 1988
For this month here is a short reminder of KC’s happy days on the Medway. It is difficult to believe now just how much the world has changed since those

March 2024:
Sirius Crosses the Atlantic
The paddle steamer Sirius is credited as being the first ship to cross the Atlantic under continuous steam power in 1838 the voyage taking fifteen days and ten hours. The
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