The Dartmouth Lower Ferry is a vehicular and passenger ferry which crosses the River Dart in the English county of Devon. It is one of three ferries that cross the tidal river from Dartmouth to Kingswear, the others being the Higher Ferry and the Passenger Ferry. The 630-mile (1,010 km) long South West Coast Path crosses the Dart on either the Lower or Passenger ferries.
Unlike the Higher Ferry, which operates somewhat to the north of the centres of Dartmouth and Kingswear, the Lower Ferry operates from slips directly in the centre of both places. This is more convenient for local traffic, but means the traffic must negotiate the narrow streets of Kingswear village.
The ferry is owned and operated by the South Hams District Council. It is operated by unpowered ferry pontoons, carrying up to 8 cars each. Each ferry pontoon is pushed and pulled by a tug boat and, when traffic demands, two such ferry/tug combinations are used in service at the same time.[1]
On 30 May 2012 one pontoon and tug was deployed as the venue for an unusual Diamond Jubilee street party.[2][3]
- ^ "Dartmouth Lower Ferry". South Hams District Council. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
- ^ "BBC News - Dartmouth ferry becomes Jubilee party venue". BBC Online. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
Kingswear and Dartmouth each sent about 20 people for the party on one of the three ferries that daily ply their trade across the River Dart. The [Lower] ferry was moored in middle of the Dart for an hour on Wednesday evening for the cream teas and entertainment
- ^ "Memories of Dartmouth - Dartmouth Museum". Dartmouth Museum. Archived from the original on 12 January 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
30 May 2012, Dartmouth and Kingswear celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II with a Devon Cream Tea on the Lower Ferry, half way between Dartmouth and Kingswear.