Cremyll Ferry

For hundreds of years the route was worked with rowboats, and with horseboats for carrying livestock, carts and cargo.

Cecilia Fiennes in her “Journey to Cornwall 1698” says: “From Plymouth I went one mile to Crilby Ferry which is a very hazardous crossing passage by reason of three tides meeting.

[2] In 1985 the Millbrook company withdrew from the Tamar, and the Cremyll Ferry was transferred to Tamar Cruising, who also bought the MV Northern Belle and the MV Queen Boadicea II from Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd, the former parent of the Millbrook Company.

Eventually Tamar Cruising won the right to retain the crossing, and was awarded a new seven-year contract starting in June 2010, using a newly overhauled Northern Belle.

Additional sailings were added in the evenings, and the enhanced summer timetable was altered to begin earlier, and end later in the season.

In 2013, the MV Northern Belle was badly damaged in a collision with a Royal Navy landing craft and was permanently taken out of service.

It was replaced by the return of the Edgcumbe Belle which is still in service as the regular ferry, under the current operator Plymouth Boat Trips.

The extended summer running times mean that the ancient ferry route is now available up to nearly 16 hours a day during peak season - completing up to 60 daily crossings between the 2 regular service vessels.