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 current steamboat.

[2] Kingswear Castle was chartered to the United States Navy during World War II, and was used for carrying stores and personnel at Dartmouth.

In 1965 Kingswear Castle was withdrawn from service and became the first purchase of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) two years later.

She was then taken to the Isle of Wight and was moored at Island Harbour Marina from August 1967 to June 1971.

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 at Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent, in association with the PSPS.