This Saturday (July 25) Dartmouth celebrates the life and work of its famous son Thomas Newcomen with the Newcomen Steam Festival.

It is being held at venues across the town between 10am and 4pm .

Newcomen built the first atmospheric steam engine in 1712,

It led to mines, steel, factories , railways and the industrial revolution.

Royal Avenue Gardens will host the Festival display and a sit-on railway, The Guildhall has a display of heritage railways.

The River Dart will have miniature steamboats on the water and the PS Kingswear Castle moored at the pontoon.

At Dartmouth Museum, the Hulse models bring the age of steam to miniature life along with the Newcomen display.

Dartmouth Library has a Wheels & Wonders event and the stat of the show is the original Newcomen Engine that stated it all off.

In addition to the attractions there are talks at the Flavel with at 10.30am Brunel’s Atmospheric Caper : The Atmospheric Railway from Exeter to Plymouth with Jonathan Turner.

At 11.30am The Engine that changed the world :Newcomen’s atmospheric steam engine with David Hulse.

Following this at 1.30pm The Kingswear Castle: The last of the Dart paddlesteamers by John Megoran

Finally at 2.30pm will be Thoimas Newcomen of Dartmouth by James Greener.