Kingswear Castle – Chronology

Supporting the preservation and operation of paddle steamers Waverley and Kingswear Castle

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1904
Kingswear Castle’s engine built by Cox & Co. of Falmouth for the previous vessel of the same name.
1924
Date of build, engine transferred from the 1904 Kingswear Castle.
1961-2
Extensive re-plating below the water line and re-boilered.
1964
Kingswear Castle becomes the last operational paddle steamer on the River Dart.
1965
Kingswear Castle withdrawn from service at the end of the season.
1967
Purchased in June for £600 by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.
Towed on 28th August to Medina Creek, Isle of Wight, and moored alongside PS Medway Queen.
1969
First sailing under Paddle Steamer Preservation Society ownership when she was steamed for the BBC TV series ‘Bird’s Eye View’.
1971
Towed in June to River Medway for comprehensive restoration.
1982
Boiler is steamed for the first time on 20th November.
1983
Steaming and manoeuvring trials carried out between 4th and 6th November on completion of restoration.
1984
Limited passenger carrying certificate issued for 12 passengers.
1985
Full passenger carrying certificate issued in May 1985.
Full sailing programme commenced on 18th May 1985.
First ever trip on 21st September 1985 from Strood through the Swale to Whitstable. Read more…
1986
Kingswear Castle wins National Steam Heritage Award.
1987
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher boards Kingswear Castle on 1st June 1987 during the General Election campaign.
1994
First prize winner in Scania Transport Trust Awards.
2001
New coal fired boiler installed with support from Heritage Lottery Fund, Manifold Trust and the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society.
2012
Kingswear Castle appears at for Queen Elizabeth II’s Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3rd June 2012
Kingswear Castle departs Chatham Historic Dockyard on 11th December to return to her birthplace, the River Dart in Devon.
2013
Kingswear Castle’s first cruise on the River Dart takes place on 29th March 2013, her first since 1965. Read more…
2014
Kingswear Castle wins Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Engineering Heritage Award in May 2014. Read more…
2017
Engine removed to repair a small crack in her low pressure cylinder. Read more…
2019
Kingswear Castle recognised by National Historic Ships UK as the South West Regional Flagship of the Year. Read more…
2020
COVID-19 global pandemic reduces passenger capacity and shortens season to July through September.