Kingswear
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kingswear is a village in the South Hams area of South Devon, residing on the east bank of the River Dart. As of the year 2000, it has a population of 1,411.
Kingswear is noted for being the terminus for the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway. It also has numerous ferry links to Dartmouth, which lies on the opposite bank of the river. The village itself contains numerous small tourist-oriented shops and several public houses, and is also home to Kingswear Castle, a privately owned 15th century artillery tower situated on the outskirts. Kingswear also contains a church, which is a member of the Anglican Diocese of Exeter and whose patron saint is Saint Thomas of Canterbury.
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[edit] History
Kingswear is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, but it's believed that Kingston, which is above Kingswear, dates from as far back as Saxon times, with evidence of Stone Age settlers. The first documentary mention of Kingswear was c.1170 when William de Vinci gave the local church half of the land.
It is not clear why Dartmouth, on the opposite side of the river Dart, developed so much more than Kingswear. Travellers arriving by sea preferred Kingswear as a landing place on their way to the tomb of Thomas à Beckett in Canterbury. This is why the parish church is dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury. The church was rebuilt in 1847.
Kingswear railway station was opened on 16 August 1864 by the Dartmouth and Torbay Railway, and the Royal Dart Hotel provided accommodation for passengers waiting to sail to South Africa and elsewhere.
The first Kingsear Regatta was held around 1890.
During the Second World War the hotel became HMS Cicala and headquarters of the British 15th Destroyer Flotilla. They made journeys to the northern beaches of Brittany, landing agents and equipment for the French Resistance and bringing back escaping allied soldiers and airmen. The Free French Navy operated motor launches and motor torpedo boats from Kingswear and was based in Brookhill, a large house on the outskirts of the village dating from about 1820.
[edit] Films and television
In recent history, Kingswear and the River Dart were used as filming locations for the movie The French Lieutenant's Woman, the TV series The Onedin Line, and also Down to Earth, though the latter was mainly for shots of neighbouring Dartmouth.
[edit] Other information
Kittery, Maine takes its name from a house called Kittery Court in the village.
Kingswear is home to the Royal Dart Yacht Club.
The 630-mile long South West Coast Path crosses from Dartmouth on the ferry and then follows the coast around towards Brixham.
A large majority of the boats taking part in the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta are berthed in Kingswear for the event each year.
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