Kingswear is a village in the South Hams area of the UK county of Devon opposite the small town of Dartmouth and lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

• There are several small tourist-oriented shops.
• The Castle was built to protect Dartmouth and was constructed between 1491 and 1502.
• 1851 Kingswear Parish covered approximately what is now the Civil Parish, stretching up to Bridge Road, Noss, Lupton House and Raddicombe. In the census there were were 77 dwellings of which only one was not occupied. In the 76 dwellings there were 307 people. The real surprise might be about the ages of the occupants. Of the 307, 83 were under ten years old! In fact more than half of the villagers, 155, were under twenty five but only thirty eight were over sixty.
• The railway reached Kingswear in 1864 and by the time of the 1891 census there were by then almost 800 dwellings in the village and the railway was the single largest employer.

Kingswear is not mentioned in the Doomsday Book but there is reason to believe that Kingston, which is on the plateau above Kingswear, dates from Saxon times with some evidence of Stone Age and Roman occupation.  After the conquest Kingston passed into the de Vasci family and the first documentary mention of Kingswear was around 1170 when William de Vinci gave half the land at Kingswear to the incumbent of the local church which was a chapel of ease to the parish church at Brixham and came under the jurisdiction of Totnes Priory.

• The name Kingswear may be associated with a tidal mill at the head of the creek with its system of weirs.

• Airbnb, from £50-£125 for an entire home.
• Hostel, There are no hostels.
• Camping, Caravan and Motorhome Club on Hill Head.
• B&B & Guest Houses, from £170 per night at Kaywana Hall or Nonsuch House.

Kingswear is only small and so is easily walkable, though there are a few hills.

• Walking, unless you want to head out of the village, everything is easily within walking distance.

Parking is very limited so it’s best to either take the train or the bus.

• Car, Parking is limited, there is a small short stay car park behind the train station. Some Free parking down near the creek. Dart Marina car park is free for 1 hour, pay & display for longer. Ring Go is available.
• Bus, stops at the banjo. The No. 120 will take you to and from Paignton and the No. 18 to and from Brixham.
• Ferry, you can use either the foot passenger or the lower vehicle ferry.
• Train, catch the steam train to & from Paignton.
• Walking, unless you want to head out of the village, everything is easily within walking distance.

• If you have driven and it’s a nice day, then it’s always worth heading up to Higher Contour Rd and up Mount Ridley Rd where the views back across the river are some of the best you see.
• Getting here is best by either the Steam train (though this is expensive) or the bus.
• There is very little in the way of free parking with only a handful of spaces on the Brixham Road by Waterhead Creek.
• It would be cheaper for you to stay overnight in Paignton or Brixham.
• Get £30 off your first Airbnb trip of £55 or more click here.