Today, the railway sill runs to Kingswear and is operated by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company. The company also operates a popular ‘Round Robin’ trip which includes the steam train between Paignton and Kingswear, a passenger ferry across the river to Dartmouth, a trip up the River Dart to Totnes, and an open-top bus back to Paignton. If you want to find out more about the train journey you can read about it here.

The original ferry is also still running, but is now a floating platform pulled along by a tug boat. It can be used by both foot passengers and vehicles and crosses the river between the slipway next to Kingswear station and Bayards Cove, a picturesque corner of Dartmouth which I wrote about in Privateers, Castles, Sea Dogs and Pilgrims. The Lower Ferry, as it’s called, is operated by South Hams District Council, as is the more modern Higher Ferry a bit further upstream.

In my next post about Dartmouth, I’ll be taking you for a stroll around the town to explore some of its more interesting corners, and as you may have already guessed, we’ll be starting our walk from the Station with No Railway.

POSTED – MAY 2021

In 1936 the couple separated, and the house was passed on to their daughter Bridget after her father died in 1948, although she never lived here. The following year she sold it to Roland Smith, the owner of the Palace Hotel in Torquay, and in 1982 he sold it to the National Trust who opened it to the public in 1999.

Although it’s not a family home any more, it does have a homely feel to it and below are some pictures of Lady Dorothy’s Bedroom, the Dining Room, the Sitting Room and a copy of an HMV recording of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury in the Saloon.

The house may have a nostalgic feel to it, but it’s the gardens that really make this place stand out for me. The manicured borders and lawns next to the house give way to a semi-wild valley that follows a stream down to the cliffs above Pudcombe Cove.

You would need a good couple of hours to do these gardens justice, and even then, you wouldn’t see everything, so I’m going to highlight the things you shouldn’t miss.

Before heading off down through the valley, make sure that you check out the lovely herbaceous borders around the house at Seemly Terrace and the Rill Garden.

There are a few routes that can be taken down through the valley but the easiest one is the wheelchair/pushchair friendly path that starts near the house. One word of warning though: It’s all downhill, which means it’s all uphill coming back.

Humidity is high in this 30-acre garden which is ideal for moisture loving plants, and you’ll find plenty of luxurious ferns and Gunnera amongst the wide variety of trees that cling to the valley slopes.

At the bottom of the valley there is a gate which leads out onto the coast path above Pudcombe Cove which is as far as the gardens go.

For the return journey my suggestion, if you can manage it, is to return through the gate and turn right over the bridge and take the climb up Long Close to the Lookout, where you may want to take a breather and enjoy the views. After you’ve got your breath back continue up the steps behind the Lookout and at the top turn right and follow the path along to Scout Point for some magnificent views along the coastline to Froward Point.

It’s a no through path and so you’ll need to return along the way you’ve just come, but continue past the steps you came up and walk along the top of the estate through Paddock Wood. This will eventually bring you out to the Gazebo Borders which will, in turn, take you to the Gazebo for some more great views. Once again, you’ll need to re-trace your footsteps along the borders which will then bring you to the Bowling Green lawn and back to the house.

Below are some pictures of the view from Paddock Wood, the Gazebo Borders, the view from the Gazebo and the view from the house towards Bowling Green Lawn.

I haven’t covered all of the grounds, but if this has whetted your appetite you may be interested in visiting at Christmastime when the National Trust stage an event called Coleton Aglow. Christmas 2015 saw Coleton Fishacre venture into the festive spirit for the first time and throw open its doors to show people how the D’Oyly Carte family would have enjoyed their Christmas in the 1920s and 30s.

In today’s modern age it all seems a bit low key which of course was how it was meant to be. To brighten things up a bit the gardens are illuminated, but don’t expect to see an extravagant sound and light show. Apart from anything else it wouldn’t be appropriate anyway.

The walk around the garden will probably take around 45 minutes or so, but that doesn’t include a mulled wine stop at the gazebo.

The ambience inside the house is no less atmospheric in a 1920s sort of way. In fact, it seemed a refreshing change from the commercialised Christmas we’re normally used to these days. The family were undoubtedly well off, but there’s no ostentation on display here.

N.B. The Covid pandemic has meant that the event has been curtailed over the last couple of years. To find out the Christmas arrangements for 2022, it’s best to visit the website a bit nearer the time.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre

ORIGINAL POST – NOVEMBER 2017

LATEST UPDATE – APRIL 2022

The journey from Paignton to Kingswear is almost 7 miles long and starts from Queen’s Park station, which is right next door to the mainline station, and even though it’s clearly marked, people go to the wrong station all day, every day. Just to be clear, the platform for the Steam Railway is on the beach side of the level crossing next to the Old Paignton Picture House in Torbay Road which is currently being restored to its former glory. There are any number of advertising boards at the entrance, so you should find it easily enough.

Once inside the ticket office you’ll also find an extensive gift shop and Head of Steam café where you can relax with a coffee and snack before boarding the train, or if you prefer, order a picnic to take with you.

The company own a total of 9 locomotives – 8 steam engines and 1 diesel, plus a Pullman observation car. As of 2025, 4 of the steam engines are in active service, 3 are on loan, and 1 is currently being overhauled in their workshop at Churston.

At Kingswear there’s not a great deal to detain anyone wanting to complete the Round Robin, and so passengers usually head straight for the Dartmouth ferry. At the station there used to be an interesting old railway carriage that acted as a visitor centre, but for some reason it didn’t conform to modern day legislation and was forced to close.

Now that the old information carriage isn’t available, and for anyone who might be interested, I’ll do my level best to fill in a few gaps about the history of the line between Paignton and Kingswear.

To start with, the eagle-eyed among you might have noticed that the owners of the line market it as the Dartmouth Steam Railway (and River Boat Company), and that’s because the original intention was to take the railway across the river to Dartmouth – but it didn’t happen, and I’ll explain why.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel originally brought his broad-gauge railway down to this part of the West Country with the help of the South Devon Railway, but the line finished at Torre. To attract more holidaymakers, the Dartmouth and Torbay Railway then took over and extended the line to Torquay, Paignton, Brixham Road (now Churston), and Kingswear. Unfortunately, the company didn’t have enough funds to build the bridge they needed to take the railway across the River Dart to Dartmouth, and so the line was terminated at Kingswear.

To solve the problem, a floating bridge was built in the form of a chain ferry, and in 1864, both the railway and ferry opened, as did a railway station at Dartmouth where you could buy a combined ferry and train ticket. To find out more, you can read my post about the Train Station with no Railway. The ‘station’ is still here but now operates as a restaurant.

As with so many branch lines, the railway from Paignton to Kingswear fell under Dr Richard Beeching’s axe and was closed on 28^th Oct 1972, but it wasn’t all bad news because a couple of months later it was purchased by the Dart Valley Railway Ltd. This is still the same company who owns it now (as well as the South Devon Heritage Railway that runs between Totnes and Buckfastleigh).

Just in case you’re not confused yet, how about this? – the Paignton to Kingswear line under the new ownership was called the Torbay Steam Railway, then the Torbay and Dartmouth Railway, and then another change of mind with the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway – and now it’s called the Dartmouth Steam Railway which comes under the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company (DSRRC), which if you’re still with me is also responsible for the running of the ferry, boat cruises, and buses of the Round Robin. Now you know why I choose to call it the Paignton to Kingswear Steam Railway.

Now that you know how much effort was involved in getting you between Paignton and Kingswear, all you have to do is get off the train and catch the modern foot passenger ferry next to the station and cross the river to Dartmouth, where the next part of the Round Robin begins with a trip upriver to Totnes.

For the latest information check out the official website.

https://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/

ORIGINAL POST – JUNE 2018

LATEST UPDATE – JUNE 2025