The historic steam-powered Kingswear Castle – the last remaining coal-fired paddle steamer in the UK – has set sail on its summer cruises on the River Dart.
The circular route takes in the lower part of the river, viewing the castles at the estuary, the Britannia Royal Naval College, and towards famous crime novelist Dame Agatha Christie’s Greenway estate. Operator the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company said: “Kingswear Castle is beautifully historic and occasionally a little temperamental, so while you might be lucky enough to cruise with her, we can’t guarantee it on every trip.” It advised calling on your day of travel to check which vessel is being used.
The ‘KC,’ as it is affectionately known, has been restored to its former glory, reflecting the style and craftsmanship of a bygone era. It is officially listed as being of pre-eminent national importance. Built in 1924 at Philip & Son of Dartmouth, it plied its trade between Totnes and Dartmouth until 1965; its engines are even older, dating back to 1904, eight years before the sinking of the Titanic. In its heyday, when this impressive ship was the life blood of the river Dart, it could carry almost 500 passengers.
“The first passenger steam boat service was introduced on the Clyde in 1812, and it was not until 1836 that the South Hams greeted its first estuary passenger steamer. Prior to this, goods were transported via pack horse or carters wagon. The arrival of the railways in the mid-1800s challenged their survival and at that point they became more reliant on the tourism trade.
The steam railway has had a long historical link with the steamers on the river Dart. Charles Seal Hayne was one of the early investors in the railway and associated steamer service. In 1859 he founded the Dartmouth Steam Packet Company Ltd, which was later sold to Dart Pleasure Craft, now part of the Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company. PS Kingswear Castle was loaned to the US Navy during the Second World War for use as a harbour tender and then purchased by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS), leaving the Dart in an era when diesel engines and propellers were favoured over paddles. After a short spell operating from Cowes on the Isle of Wight, it moved to Chatham, in Kent, where the PSPS spent 15 years fully restoring it, and where it offered river trips on the Medway since 1985. In 2013, it returned to its home waters of the river Dart after an absence of 47 years.
The KC’s summer season ends on September 4; for more information and to book, visit www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/tickets/dartmouth-river-cruise
