Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle returning to the River Dart

Saturday 8 December 2012

Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle returning to the River Dart

Kingswear Castle is set to return to the River Dart on a 15 year charter by Dart Pleasure Craft in association with the Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company. Kingswear Castle has operated successfully on the River Medway and Thames Estuary since 1985 and it is 47 years since she last sailed her home waters.

Weather permitting the ship will be towed from Chatham in Kent next week and then undergo a periodic winter refit before entering service on the Dart at Easter. The announcement of the ship's return was made by Andrew Pooley, General Manager of the Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company at the PSPS AGM in Bath.

On Friday 29th March 2013 (Good Friday) Kingswear Castle is offering a special cruise to celebrate her return to the Dart. She will depart Dartmouth at 10:30 for a River Cruise on the Dart (returning to Dartmouth at c.11:45). The round trip will view Bayards Cove, Kingswear and Dartmouth Castles, Britannia Royal Naval College, Dittisham Village, Sir Walter Raleigh’s Boathouse, Greenway Quay and The Estate of the late Dame Agatha Christie. All proceeds of this cruise will be donated to the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society. Tickets are priced at £25.00 (children under 16 years of age £15.00; no concessions). Tickets will be on sale online from noon on Friday 14th December 2012 and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

For more information visit the Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company website-click here.

Paul Semple

The Society

The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) is Britain's longest established, largest and most successful steamship preservation group.
A registered charity founded in 1959, we have over 3000 members and through our associated charitable companies we operate the only two working paddle steamers in Great Britain.
Without the PSPS there would no longer be the opportunity to sail on a Paddle Steamer in Great Britain.

Our aims
i) to preserve paddle steamers in sailing condition
ii) to educate the public in the historic significance of paddle steamers in the Nation's maritime and industrial heritage
iii) to acquire, preserve and exhibit a collection of equipment and material associated with paddle steamers.

Our Ships

Flagship of our fleet is Waverley the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world. Built in 1947 Waverley was gifted to the Society for just £1. As well as operating on her native Clyde each summer she visits other coastal areas around the UK during the spring and autumn each year.

Kingswear Castle is Britain's only operational coal-fired paddle steamer. Built in 1924 to sail on the River Dart she was purchased by the Society in 1967. From 1985 until 2012 she sailed the Thames and Medway. In 2013 Kingswear Castle returned to the Dart where she now operates public sailings during the summer season.

The society is composed of five branches: Scottish, London & Home Counties, Bristol Channel, Wessex & Dart and North England - all of which help raise money to keep our paddle steamers sailing.

The Scottish Branch

The Scottish Branch was formed in 1969 by Douglas McGowan, now our Honorary Branch President. In November 1973 Douglas was invited to attend a meeting with CalMac which resulted in Paddle Steamer Waverley being gifted to the PSPS for £1! It was then on 8th August 1974 that the PSPS took ownership of the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world and her second career in preservation had begun. Since 1974 the Scottish Branch has been directly linked to supporting Waverley.

The Scottish Branch is proud of its achievements. We are an active and forward thinking branch with a thriving membership of over 800 - we are proud to be the branch which secured an operational future for Waverley. Our members are regularly involved with voluntary work which helps ensure Waverley continues to sail. During the summer sailing season we help raise funds through the Society's Grand Draw and our annual fundraising cruise on Waverley. The Branch meets in Glasgow each month during the non-sailing season (October - April) and we extend an invitation to join the Society and indeed join the Scottish Branch.

Saturday 8 December 2012