 PSKingswear Castle inWhitstable Harbour | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | PSKingswear Castle |
| Namesake | Kingswear Castle inDevon,UK |
| Owner | |
| Operator |
|
| Route |
|
| Ordered | 1924 |
| Builder | Philip and Son,Dartmouth,UK |
| Launched | 1924 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Paddle steamer |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 17.43 ft (5.31 m) |
| Draught | 3.43 ft (1.05 m) |
| Propulsion | Compound Diagonal Steam engine (1904) built by Cox and Co ofFalmouth |
PSKingswear Castle is a steamship. She is a coal-fired riverpaddle steamer, dating from 1924 with engines from 1904. After running summer excursions on theRiver Medway and theThames for many years she returned to theRiver Dart in Devon in December 2012 to run excursions from 2013 onwards on the river she was built on and for.Kingswear Castle is listed as part of theNational Historic Fleet of ships of "Pre-eminent National Significance".
TheKingswear Castle was built by Philip & Sons ofDartmouth in 1924 for service on the River Dart, following sister shipsCompton Castle andTotnes Castle, and was operated by theRiver Dart Steamboat Co. Her predecessor of the same name from 1904 is now a rotted and barely recognisable hulk in the River Dart, but the engines were re-used in the currentsteamboat.[2]
Kingswear Castle was chartered to theUnited States Navy during World War II, and was used for carrying stores and personnel at Dartmouth. In 1965Kingswear Castle was withdrawn from service and became the first purchase of thePaddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) two years later. She was then taken to theIsle of Wight and was moored atIsland Harbour Marina from August 1967 to June 1971. However, due to her deteriorating condition, she was then taken to theRiver Medway.
After various difficulties and a great deal of restoration work she was finally brought into service again in 1985, and was operated by the Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust based atChatham Historic Dockyard inKent, in association with the PSPS.
On 18 December 2012 she returned to the River Dart again, under charter to the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company, to run passenger trips around Dartmouth Harbour and up river to Totnes.[3][4]
The Kingswear Castle was withdrawn from service in 1924 after a distinguished career, and her rusting remains can be seen on the left bank of the Dart on the excursion by river to Totnes.
Andrew Pooley, general manager of Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company, said: "It has taken nearly three years' negotiations to persuade the trustees that we have the marine expertise and steam engineering skills to look after this historic vessel in perpetuity
...after consultation with the Council of Management of thePaddle Steamer Preservation Society and others, it has finally been agreed that from 2013 Kingswear Castle will be taken on long term charter by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Co and returned to service on the River Dart. As a result the business here on the Medway will close.
51°23′40″N0°31′29″E / 51.39444°N 0.52472°E /51.39444; 0.52472