It's going to be impractical to list all of Kingswear's buildings, but here are a few for now...
A number of relief houses appear looking South East over the quay, depicting the sought after 'Ridley Hill' area of Kingswear. These really contrast with the humble working dwellings and quayside businesses, which overlook the station further to the left of this point. They have been produced to a smaller relative scale, and are just rested in place for now because they still need to be wired up for lighting before being permanently installed. All share a westerly view, over to the opposite bank, and the most southerly houses of Dartmouth are just becoming visible to the right. The entrance to Warfleet Cove is portrayed in the wooded riverbank before the promontory at One Gun Point with Sugary Cove just out of sight behind, and then further still, the backscene shows a view out over the English Channel with Jersey & Cherbourg beyond the horizon.
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The beginnings of the Hotel structure just rested in place with the Station and Quay still in progress. The rear panel is soft aluminium, and the facades are all researched and individually laminated in Slaters Plastikard, Wills moulded sheets and various other textured materials. There is quite a bit of wiring to do once the panel goes in, as virtually all the windows are illuminated !
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The Royal Dart Hotel was formerly known as the Royal Dart Yacht Club and Family Hotel, overlooking the river to the south west, and rests upon a stone outcrop adjoining the railway station building. Built circa 1850, as an Italianate style stuccoed hotel, the river front of the main block (pictured in progress here) has a low pitched hipped bitumenised slate roof with over-sailing and bracketed eaves. Below, a wide splayed two-storey bay is attached, with a cast iron balcony and a tented roof above upon iron columns.
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Part of the 4mm scale hotel, with the over-sailing and bracketed eaves still to be added to the main block on the left of the facade. This has three storeys and an attic, with three bays to the east on this side and a rusticated stucco ground floor appears with segmentally headed recessed windows and a right hand doorway. A first floor band is modelled, and above this are first and second floor windows in three tall round-headed recesses with moulded arches and continuous impost. The second floor windows are round headed with panelled aprons below, and the three square attic windows rest directly above a moulded cornice. All the sash windows with their glazing bars must still be added. A very large segmentally arched carriageway on right (north) to quay, with five round-headed windows above (two blind), forming a linking bridge to an Italianate tower on the north side with ground stage rusticated quoins to a second stage with round-headed first floor windows and a clock face with heavy moulded cornice above. A Bell-stage rests atop, with three small louvred openings on each side and a hipped roof with large shaped brackets to eaves soffit.
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The hotel (pictured in later progress here) has low pitched hipped bitumenised slate roofing with over-sailing and bracketed eaves. The first floor to west is supported on iron columns, also forming a covered way to the ferry pontoon entrance, goods depot and quayside. An octagonal lantern is arranged in the only flat roof, and the room below and to the right of the tower overlooks the station, which abuts into the recess provided.
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Sepiatone to right of Carlton House and Lodge as it used to look. The small double fronted lodge house to the extreme right is now rendered, but a few dwellings like this were constructed in distinctive red brick and terracotta in the 19th and early 20th centuries. One material common to nearly all the buildings is the slate roof. Chimneys are of brick or rendered with individual clay pots. This element is important as the roofs are frequently on view due to the steep valley sides. There is still some work to do, and the structures are just rested temporarily in place.
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Carlton House has changed a bit since the 1930s, but only the top floor, and it still remains sitting on a slope at the north end of Higher Street.
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A detail of Kingswear’s parish church, which appears at just below 4mm scale on the layout’s 3D backscene as a forced perspective facade. It was dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury, who was often associated with pilgrimage, and it has been suggested that overseas travellers might have preferred Kingswear as a landing place on their way to the tomb of Thomas à Beckett in Canterbury and that this gave rise to the association.
In 1847, with the expansion of Kingswear, funds were granted to 'restore' the original church with the work being overseen by Exeter architect J Hayward. The old church was demolished except for the original 12th-century tower, with the rest of the church reconstructed in local limestone with freestone dressing. Hayward used the same decorated style and a similar layout as the old church, but on a slightly reduced scale, retaining the old tower dating from about 1173. In those days it was not normal for there to be settlements near the water's edge for fear of raids by Vikings, French or Irish. Defensive towers tended to be built on the tops of hills relatively safe from unexpected raids. Some church towers dating from the Norman period sometimes did have an additional defensive purpose though. and this is especially true in counties which suffered from border raids, such as Northumberland. Others can be found where access from below was by a winding staircase around a central newel, protected by a portcullis. The towers originally had upper chambers with a fireplace and a flue to the roof to provide living accommodation. Much of this could easily apply to Kingswear's church tower although there is no evidence of a portcullis |
St Thomas's stands in a slightly elevated position at the junction of Higher Street and Church Hill opposite the station and the lower Ferry and overlooking the river
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We did re-instate the gable crosses as a tribute to Mr Hayward. Although not historically correct, we thought it might be a nice touch. Mea culpa....
The Gothic arch window tracery is different from one to another, as is nearly always the case. |
Adapted from 'Kingswear History Remembered'.
The vicar of Kingswear was the Reverend F. H. Keyworth, who was well loved in the village, and known by everybody, including the Free French and H.M. forces. He was an excellent musician, played the organ and wrote words and tunes to several hymns, which sadly are no longer used, one being for St. Thomas’ festal day. There was a church choir of about sixteen boys and eight men. The organist and choirmaster was Norman Weekes, who was a fitter at the shipyard. There was a communion service every Sunday at 8.00am.
Local girls were married in the church to members of H.M. forces and two girls married Free French sailors. Thomas Wilton and Bill Harris were the church wardens, Charlie Heal was the sexton; he kept the shop where the Post Office is now. He cut hair and sold sweets and cigarettes and was the village postman. Also involved in the church were Dr. Hope-Gill, of Kingswear House, Colonel Hine-Hacock of Collins’ Quay, and Mr Wordsworth, descendant of the poet’s and Bishop Wordsworth’s family.
Reverend Keyworth was frequently in conversation with the Free French sailors, and told their Padre, he could use the church. Each Ascension Day, all the children from Kingswear Primary School used to process down to the church to take part in the special service. Until the mid-seventies when Sheila gave up Sunday school teaching, there were still 30 plus children on role, many of whom came from outlying country districts; there was also a Young Mums club, associated with the Sunday school and church, who used to meet socially once a month in the Trust room, and organised outings and concerts etc.
Sunday school outings were held on the hill above Hoodown Farm, at Nethway House and at the (Brownstone) Landmark. Scouts were also involved with tents etc. During my father’s and Mr Roscoe’s time as wardens, they started the harvest supper. My mother, Mrs Roscoe and the Mothers’ Union members helped with the meal.
https://reglittle.wordpress.com/tag/st-thomas-of-canterbury/
The vicar of Kingswear was the Reverend F. H. Keyworth, who was well loved in the village, and known by everybody, including the Free French and H.M. forces. He was an excellent musician, played the organ and wrote words and tunes to several hymns, which sadly are no longer used, one being for St. Thomas’ festal day. There was a church choir of about sixteen boys and eight men. The organist and choirmaster was Norman Weekes, who was a fitter at the shipyard. There was a communion service every Sunday at 8.00am.
Local girls were married in the church to members of H.M. forces and two girls married Free French sailors. Thomas Wilton and Bill Harris were the church wardens, Charlie Heal was the sexton; he kept the shop where the Post Office is now. He cut hair and sold sweets and cigarettes and was the village postman. Also involved in the church were Dr. Hope-Gill, of Kingswear House, Colonel Hine-Hacock of Collins’ Quay, and Mr Wordsworth, descendant of the poet’s and Bishop Wordsworth’s family.
Reverend Keyworth was frequently in conversation with the Free French sailors, and told their Padre, he could use the church. Each Ascension Day, all the children from Kingswear Primary School used to process down to the church to take part in the special service. Until the mid-seventies when Sheila gave up Sunday school teaching, there were still 30 plus children on role, many of whom came from outlying country districts; there was also a Young Mums club, associated with the Sunday school and church, who used to meet socially once a month in the Trust room, and organised outings and concerts etc.
Sunday school outings were held on the hill above Hoodown Farm, at Nethway House and at the (Brownstone) Landmark. Scouts were also involved with tents etc. During my father’s and Mr Roscoe’s time as wardens, they started the harvest supper. My mother, Mrs Roscoe and the Mothers’ Union members helped with the meal.
https://reglittle.wordpress.com/tag/st-thomas-of-canterbury/
The village hall was built on a very cramped plot in 1920, but it still presents quite an imposing facade as it overlooks the station, appearing in many railway photos. It served many functions, including the Headquarters of all the Civil Defence activities, and also held dances in aid of various charities and war efforts, The money was raised to begin a “Welcome Home” fund for the members of the forces. Each returned serviceman was given a brown leather wallet and a pound note. The telephone number was Kingswear 83.
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The drab looking Riverside wharf buildings were built from local grey limestone, but they have now all been rendered over and painted in bright colours, then converted into posh apartments with magnolia interiors and fitted designer kitchens. The Kingswear Wesleyan Methodist Chapel seen behind was closed in the seventies and also converted into dwellings, (luckily escaping the rendering fashion). At the modelled period, the Pastor came from Dartmouth and at least two services were held, plus Sunday school. There was an evening meeting for children during the week which sometimes featured a magic lantern show about missionary work in Africa, as the Wills family were running a hospital in Africa for leprosy. Other prominent chapel members were Mr Powlesland, the dairyman, who was a lay reader, John Roberts, Mr Eckhart of Jubilee terrace and the Tucker family of Kircum Park. The headmistress of Kingswear School, Miss Hayward was also a member and very involved. Reg Little.
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Backscene panels 3 and 4 depict the mostly Victorian/Edwardian expansion of the village to the north, where more of the buildings are constructed from semi-glazed red brick with yellow brick quoins and window framings. These are sited upon levelled plots set between narrow contour roads as they step up the eastern bank of Waterhead Creek. Their width to depth ratios reflect the natural slope of the ground, and with the added benefit of a pleasant view across the creek, all the frontages are conveniently layered and more or less in parallel. Some good examples of slate hanging still exist in the conservation area, and these are included as facades on the layout. Exposed stone rubble construction (such as the cottages at centre) is often associated with public use such as the church and almshouses in the village, and also with the ubiquitous stone retaining walls. The stone used typically is a mixture of grey limestone, local shillet and Paignton red sandstone.
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Some of the many frontages making up the layered townscape of Kingswear. Most of the retaining walls and buildings in the town are local stone but a number of fired brick structures were built during the Victorian expansion of the town including this small sail loft which still exists as a private house, looking out over Higher Street
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The Royal Dart Yacht Club originally established a base in 1866 on the Kingswear side of the River Dart in two rooms of the hotel and invited like-minded people to apply for membership at the cost of a guinea a year. In 1881, they moved into to this new clubhouse (centre foreground) just beyond the Dartmouth ferry slipway, where they remain today, organising Regattas and races. Slipway House and the shops facing the square appear to the left of this view, but bear in mind that part of this backscene layer will be obscured by the eventual placing of the hotel.
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