Kingswear Castle Britain's last steam powered river paddle steamer
1924 - 2024
Sail on
Kingswear Castle
Kingswear Castle has finished her 2025 season. She will return in 2026 for her 102nd year of service.
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Built in 1924 for service on the River Dart in Devon between Dartmouth and Totnes, Kingswear Castle was withdrawn in 1965.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.
19th October 2025:
Season 2025 Lake Geneva
2025 was not a good summer season for the CGN paddle steamers on Lake Geneva with only the diesel electric Italie and Vevey in service during the peak weeks out
11th October 2025:
2025 Season in Switzerland
The Dampferzeitung magazine has asked the managements of paddle steamers on a number of the Swiss lakes for their assessments of how the 2025 season has panned out for them.
1st October 2025:
Lake Geneva October 2025
The CGN has published the timetable for October on Lake Geneva. Montreux and Italie are scheduled to be in service every day until Sunday 12th October with Montreux based at
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.
8th November 1965:
Jeanie Deans (Part 9 of 13)
Jeanie Deans spent Monday 8th November continuing to shelter from the storm in the lee of the Isle of Man. Today ships have a plethora of weather forecasting and significant wave
7th November 1965:
Jeanie Deans (Part 8 of 13)
I had left the Jeanie Deans the previous day to return to school but of course Captain Woods, Ken Moore and Alfie Le Page were still aboard and they updated me on
6th November 1965:
Jeanie Deans (Part 7 of 13)
Having come to anchor off Stranraer at the end of the previous day the crew were up at first light to steam Jeanie Deans into Stranraer on Saturday 6th November 1965 to
5th November 1965:
Jeanie Deans (Part 6 of 13)
So we were ready to go. About 4pm the pilot came aboard and by 5pm we were off and sailing down the Clyde into the gathering darkness and out towards
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.
November 2025:
Paddle Steamers at Bognor
As the craze for visiting the seaside escalated Bognor Regis acquired a pier in its original form in 1865. Up to the 1890s the paddle steamers sailing on the Sussex
October 2025:
Collecting
The conductor Richard Bonynge, who has just celebrated his 95th birthday, confesses that he sees his passion for collecting as a disease. His Chalet Monet in Les Avants above Montreux
September 2025:
KC’s Log September/October 1985
2025 is the 40 anniversary of KC’s first season back in service in 1985. Based at the Historic Dockyard Chatham, which had opened for the first time as a “Living
August 2025:
Whippingham at Bournemouth
In 1930 the Southern Railway commissioned two very large paddle steamers, Whippingham and Southsea, for their Portsmouth based services. At 244ft LOA and 825 GRT they were a huge step
