Dartmouth Higher Ferry facts for kids
The Dartmouth Higher Ferry is a special boat that carries cars across the River Dart in Devon, England. It's also known as the Dartmouth–Kingswear Floating Bridge. This ferry is one of three ways to cross the river between Dartmouth and Kingswear. The other two are the Lower Ferry and the Passenger Ferry.
Unlike the Lower Ferry, which docks in the middle of both towns, the Higher Ferry crosses further north. This helps cars on the A379 road avoid the busy, narrow streets in the center of Kingswear and Dartmouth.
On the Kingswear side, the ferry's dock is right next to a railway track. This track is called the Britannia Crossing. It's a level crossing, meaning cars must cross the railway tracks to get on or off the ferry.
The Dartmouth–Kingswear Floating Bridge Company owns and runs the ferry. You need to pay a small fee, called a toll, to use it.
About the Ferries
For many years, the ferry boat was named No. 7. It was built in 1960. This ferry could carry up to 18 cars at a time. It was unusual because it used cables to guide itself, but it moved using paddle wheels.
In 2008, the company decided to build a new ferry. This new ferry started working in June 2009. It's much bigger and can carry up to 36 cars. The new ferry is a more common type of cable ferry. It uses the cables to both guide itself and to move across the water. It also has four special engines called thrusters. These thrusters are at each corner. They help the ferry move better when the wind is strong or the river currents are fast.
History of the Ferry
The idea for the Floating Bridge was approved by the government in 1830. It stopped running in 1855 because it wasn't making enough money. But it started again the next year with a new boat.
At first, from 1831 to 1835, the ferry used steam power. Then, for a while, it was moved by hand or by horses! In 1867, a steam engine was used again to power the ferry. It closed one more time in 1874. But it reopened in 1876 with another new ferry.
On February 13, 2005, something scary happened. The weather was very bad. The guide cables on the No. 7 ferry came loose. The ferry, with 15 cars and 34 people on board, started to drift towards the sea. Luckily, the crew acted fast. They managed to tie the ferry to a buoy. This stopped it from hitting other boats or getting stuck on the shore.
