Dartmouth Lower Ferry

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The Dartmouth Lower Ferry is one of three ferries that cross the River Dart between Kingswear and Dartmouth, Devon, England. It is the one nearest the river mouth and carries both road vehicles and foot passengers.

[edit] History

There are records of a Kingswear Ferry as early as 1365.^[1] By the 18th century another was sailing from Hoodown on the Kingswear side, upstream from Waterhead Creek, which had an easier approach than the steep slipway in the village square. The Dartmouth and Torbay Railway was authorised by its 1857 Act of Parliament to establish a steam ferry across the Dart from its station and agreed to purchase the ferries, although the Hoodown Ferry was discontinued in 1864 after the opeing of the railway. The remaining Kingswear Ferry was leased out by the railway to a succession of local operators.

In addition to the rowing boat that operated from Kingswear, a "horse boat" was operated that could convey a horse and cart. A steam ferry, the supplemented the rowed ferry in April 1867 and this could tow the horse boat when required. A new steam ferry, the Forester was brought into use in 1878. The rowing boat finally ceased operation in 1915 when the Relief was introduced.

In the 1920s the railway sold the ferry rights to Dartmouth Corpration.