Dartmouth Lower Ferry facts for kids
The Dartmouth Lower Ferry is a special boat that carries both cars and people across the River Dart in Devon, England. It's one of three ferries that connect the towns of Dartmouth and Kingswear. The other two are the Higher Ferry and the Passenger Ferry. If you're walking the long South West Coast Path (which is about 630 miles!), you can use either the Lower Ferry or the Passenger Ferry to cross the river.
The Lower Ferry is very convenient because it starts and ends right in the middle of Dartmouth and Kingswear. This is great for local people and visitors. However, it also means that cars have to drive through the narrow streets of Kingswear village.
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How the Ferry Works Today
The Dartmouth Lower Ferry is owned and run by the South Hams District Council. It uses special flat boats called pontoons that don't have their own engines. Each pontoon can carry up to 8 cars.
A separate tug boat pushes and pulls the pontoon across the river. If there are lots of cars waiting, sometimes two ferry and tug teams will work at the same time to move everyone faster.
In 2012, one of the ferry pontoons and its tug boat were used for a very unusual party! It was a special "street party" held on the water to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
A Look Back: History of the Ferry
People have been crossing the River Dart between Dartmouth and Kingswear for a very long time. Records show that a "Kingswear Ferry" was operating as early as the year 1365.
Early Ferries and the Railway
By the 1700s, another ferry started operating from a place called Hoodown on the Kingswear side. This spot was easier to reach than the steep slipway in the village square.
When the Dartmouth and Torbay Railway was given permission to build its railway in 1857, it also got the right to set up a steam ferry. The railway decided to buy the existing ferries. The Hoodown Ferry stopped running in 1864 after the railway opened. The main Kingswear Ferry was then rented out to different local companies.
New Boats and Changes
In the past, there was a small rowing boat that crossed from Kingswear. There was also a "horse boat" which was big enough to carry a horse and cart.
In April 1867, a steam ferry was added to the service. This steam ferry could even tow the horse boat when needed. A newer steam ferry, named the Forester, started operating in 1878. The old rowing boat finally stopped working in 1915 when a new boat called the Relief was introduced.
In the 1920s, the railway company sold the rights to operate the ferry to the Dartmouth Corporation (which was like the local town council at the time).
