Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the western bank of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes. It lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and South Hams district, and had a population of 5,512 in 2001, reducing to 5,064 at the 2011 census. There are two electoral wards in the Dartmouth area. Their combined population at the above census was 6,822.
The River Dart is a river in Devon, England, that rises high on Dartmoor and flows for 75 kilometres (47 mi) to the sea at Dartmouth.
A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans.
PS Waverley is the last seagoing passenger-carrying paddle steamer in the world. Built in 1946, she sailed from Craigendoran on the Firth of Clyde to Arrochar on Loch Long until 1973. Bought by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS), she has been restored to her 1947 appearance and now operates passenger excursions around the British coast.
The PS Oscar W is a restored paddle steamer located at Goolwa in South Australia.
Kingswear is a village and civil parish in the South Hams area of the English county of Devon. The village is located on the east bank of the tidal River Dart, close to the river's mouth and opposite the small town of Dartmouth. It lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and has a population of 1,332, reducing to 1,217 at the 2011 census.
Dartmouth railway station was a booking office for train tickets located on the quayside of Dartmouth in the English county of Devon. While there has never been a railway line at the site, it was possible to book through tickets to and from Dartmouth via the office, accessing trains by travelling on Dartmouth Passenger Ferry to or from Kingswear railway station on the opposite bank of the River Dart. Accordingly, the office was classed as a "railway station" for ticketing purposes if purchasing an integrated ticket combining rail and ferry travel.
Island Harbour Marina, on the Isle of Wight, UK, is a commercial marina on the River Medina in the small hamlet of Binfield. It is located approximately halfway between Cowes and the County Town of Newport. Visiting yachtsmen will find it just past the Folly Inn on the East bank. Being a relatively small marina, it best suits pleasure craft of up to 20 metres in length. The marina accommodates both annual berthholders and short-term visiting craft.
The Dartmouth Passenger Ferry, also known as the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat company, is a passenger ferry that crosses the River Dart in the English county of Devon. It is one of three ferries that cross the tidal river from Dartmouth to Kingswear, the others being the Higher Ferry and the Lower Ferry. The 630-mile (1,010 km) long South West Coast Path crosses the Dart on either the Lower or Passenger ferries.
River Link is a ferry, cruise boat, and bus operator, based in Devon, England. The company is owned by Dart Valley Railway plc, who also own and operate the Dartmouth Steam Railway.
The MV Cardiff Castle is a twin screw passenger vessel, operating on the River Dart in South Devon, UK, mainly on the cruise / ferry route between Dartmouth and Totnes, but also on circular cruises from Dartmouth, for Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd.
The MV Edgecumbe Belle is a single screw passenger vessel, operating from Dartmouth, Devon, UK to Kingswear for Dart Pleasure Craft Limited.
The MV Western Belle is a twin screw passenger vessel. She is owned by Ullswater 'Steamers', who refitted her and launched her on Ullswater in the autumn of 2010.
The MV Lady Wakefield is a twin screw passenger vessel, operating between Glenridding, Howtown and Pooley Bridge on Ullswater in the Lake District for Ullswater Navigation and Transit Co, marketed as Ullswater 'Steamers'.
The River Dart Steamboat Co Ltd (RDSC) and its predecessors, the Dartmouth Steam Packet Company and the Dartmouth and Torbay Steam Packet Company, were the major ferry and excursion boat operators on the River Dart in South Devon for 120 years, until the company's demise in 1976. The company was famous for its distinctive paddle steamers, which were a familiar sight on the river until the late 1960s.
The Great Western Railway's ships operated in connection with the company's trains to provide services to Ireland, the Channel Islands and France. Powers were granted by Act of Parliament for the Great Western Railway (GWR) to operate ships in 1871. The following year the company took over the ships operated by Ford and Jackson on the route between Wales and Ireland. Services were operated between Weymouth, the Channel Islands and France on the former Weymouth and Channel Islands Steam Packet Company routes. Smaller GWR vessels were also used as tenders at Plymouth and on ferry routes on the River Severn and River Dart. The railway also operated tugs and other craft at their docks in Wales and South West England.
The Paddle Steamer Waimarie is a historic riverboat based on the Whanganui River in New Zealand. She is the only coal–fired paddle steamer still operating in New Zealand. Waimarie was built in 1899 by Yarrow & Co. in London and transported to New Zealand in kitset form to be assembled at Whanganui. She operated on the Whanganui River for 49 years before being laid up. In 1952 she sank at her moorings and lay in the mud for the next 40 years.
MV Dartmouth Castle is a passenger ship operating on the River Dart for the Dartmouth Steam Railway. She is listed on the National Register of Historic Ships.
The Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) is a United Kingdom-based registered charity and owner of two working paddle steamers; PS Kingswear Castle and PS Waverley.
PS Monarch is one of the three active paddle steamers in the United Kingdom. Construction started in 1984 and it was launched in 1994, although the steam plant originated as a 19th-century tar pump from Caerphilly gas works. At only 42 feet long, 8 feet wide and with a capacity for only 12 passengers, she is the world's smallest commercial paddle steamer.
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