The Paddle Steamer Kingswear Castle Trust has launched a fund-raising campaign for a major rebuild of Kingswear Castle to be undertaken over the next three winters with completion timed to coincide with her centenary in 2024.

Built for service on the River Dart Kingswear Castle was withdrawn in 1965 and returned to service operating trips on the Rivers Medway and Thames in 1985.

There she remained for almost 30 years before returning to her home waters in 2013 on long term charter to the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company.

All ships need rebuilds from time to time if they are to stay in service for extended periods and the cost for this project is estimated to be northwards of one million pounds.

Kingswear Castle has shown herself over the decades to be one of Britain’s most successful and sustainable steamship preservation projects with her modest size and running costs meaning that she has never needed any operating subsidy.

However, fund-raising is needed to finance a major capital project like this to set the ship up for the next thirty years of service. Already almost half a million pounds has been raised. The Trust needs your help to rise the rest.

Report by John Megoran

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