There is a sense of adventure in going on a boat. Boats can reach hidden bays and winding swamps that other means of transportation cannot reach.
Before motor transport, sailing boats and later steamships provided the fastest way to travel between coastal communities in the UK (as well as transport goods across the country).
As seaside resorts grew in the 19th centuryhe In the 19th century, pleasure steamers became a popular means of entertainment. In the 1820s steam packet companies operated trips from Liverpool to resorts in north Wales, while Southampton Royal Dock opened in 1833 to serve steamships offering trips to the Isle of Wight or along the Hampshire coast.
Ferries also have a long history of offering the fastest way to explore Britain’s coastline. For example, the Helford River crossing near Falmouth in Cornwall is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
If you’re looking for a way to link up coastal walks or get away from the crowds, we’ve picked a few of the best ferry routes you should consider.
Plymouth to Cawsand, Kingsand and Rame peninsula to Devon
The Cawsand Ferry takes you across the border – and some say, back in time – from lively Plymouth in Devon, with its boat-filled harbour, to the sleepy old fishing villages of Cawsand and Kingsand in Cornwall.
Both are a half-hour ferry ride across Plymouth Sound and offer small pebbly and sandy beaches, rock pools and simple amenities. As you explore its narrow, winding streets and forested hillsides, you can imagine the tricks of the 18th century.he and 19he Centuries when smugglers frequented these shores. Both Cawsand and Kingsand are good bases for exploring the gardens and parklands of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, or for walks along the South West Coast Path around Penlee Point and Rame Head, with stunning views overlooking Plymouth Sound and the Canal .
Looking for an overnight stay? Residence One, Plymouth (01752 262318; bistrotpierre.co.uk) has doubles from £146 including breakfast.
Cawsand Ferry (01752 253153; plymouthboattrips.co.uk) operates from 29.he until March 31st Travel from Plymouth to Cawsand and Kingsand in October costs £6 for a single adult and £3 for a child.
Helford Pass, near Falmouth, to the village of Helford, Cornwall
Not many public transport services in Britain can actually declare themselves ‘on demand’. But once you land at Helford Ford on the Helford River in Cornwall, the cheerful red and white ferry will take you right across the water, tides permitting. If you arrive in the village of Helford on the south bank of the river, simply ‘turn on’ the bright yellow circular sign to show you’re waiting. A type of ferry has operated this mile-long crossing since at least the 11th century.he century, saving travelers a 40-minute detour by car around the bay.
This is Daphne du Maurier’s Cornish countryside; narrow roads, ancient oak forests and smugglers’ bays. The ferry, which takes foot passengers and bicycles, leaves under the Ferry Boat Inn on the small Helford Causeway and arrives easily near the 16th.heThe turn-of-the-century Shipwrights Arms in Helford. Both villages are full of thatched Cornish charm and there is a small beach at Helford Pass. Both locations are on the South West Coast Path.
Located near Helford Pass, Budock Vean (01326 250288) has double occupancy from £198 including breakfast.
Helford Ferry (01326 250770; helfordriverboats.co.uk) operates 1st until April 31st Helford Pass to Helford Village in October and costs £7/£9 (one way/return) for an adult and £4/£6 for a child.
Glenelg to Skye, Scotland
“Speeding bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing… Over the sea to Skye”. 19he The century folk song probably didn’t have this extraordinary ferry in mind, but it was certainly one of the best ways to reach the island. Turn off the main road to Kyle of Lochalsh, the traditional crossing point to Skye at the Bridge of Shiel, and follow the narrow road over Mam Ratagan, from where Skye’s Cuillin Hills are visible. Drive 18 miles just north of tiny Glenelg on the edge of the Kylerhea Narrows and you’ve made it.
From here, the MV Glenachulish, the world’s last manually operated turntable ferry, carries you across the narrow pass to Kylerhea on Skye. The ingenuity of the turntable on which the cars stand means that the ferry can dock alongside the slipway, whatever the tide height and the strength of the current (strong, around here). From Kylerhea it is only five miles to the main road from Glen Arroch to Portree; Better yet, head south to enjoy the wildness of the under-the-radar Sleat Peninsula.
Skye Ferry (01599 522700; skyeferry.co.uk) operates every 28 hourshe March to mid-October from near Glenelg to Kylerhea and costs £20/£30 for car (single/return) and £3/£5 for foot passengers.
Butley River Ferry, Suffolk
Nestled among the marshes and heathlands of remote East Suffolk, home to marsh wildfowl, herons and wildfowl, and where villages have names such as Shingle Street and Duck Corner, is arguably Europe’s smallest ferry. With a maximum capacity of four (or two adults and two bicycles), it is one of only two human-powered ferries in Britain. The rower carries passengers to the Alde and then across the River Butley, which heads out to sea at the southern tip of Orford Ness.
Ferry services have been operating here since the 14th century.he Until the 1930s the riverside farmland belonged to Butley Priory. Revitalized in 1993 and run by volunteers, it welcomes walkers, cyclists and nature lovers who enjoy the tranquility, sightings of seals and birdlife pulled along the river banks, and welcoming pubs (12 in number) at nearby Orford.hecentury castle) and Chillesford.
Are you looking for a place to stay? Check out The Crown and Castle, Orford (01394 450205), with double rooms from £140 including breakfast.
Butley Ferry (07913 672499; aldeandore.org) operates weekends and bank holidays from 30am.he until March 13he Traveling along the river Butley near Orford in October costs £2.50 for a single adult and £1.50 for a child.
Sea houses on the Holy Isle, Northumberland
The Holy Isle, or Lindisfarne to its Celtic name, can be reached by causeway twice a day from the Northumbrian mainland when tides permit. But to get a real sense of its isolation – and something the first Anglo-Saxon settlers, including St Aidan and St Cuthbert, would have experienced – come by boat. Billy Shiel’s boats have operated at Seahouses since 1918 and are known for their trips to the Farne Islands (of Grace Darling, sea gulls and seals fame).
During the warmer months, they also offer a four-and-a-half hour round trip to Holy Island. The route includes a tour around Farnes, as well as the chance to see porpoises and dolphins, before landing on Holy Island for a two-hour visit. Boats go ashore at high tide; So you can experience the ‘uninterrupted’ peace of the island with its high castle, Norman Monastery, small museum and cafes serving locally caught crab sandwiches.
Billy Shiel’s Boat Trips (01665 720308; farne-islands.com) covers the Easter holidays and then from Seahouses to Holy Island from May to October, where return fares cost £45 and £25 for a child.
Bardsey Island, Wales
Retrace the pilgrims’ footsteps on a boat trip to Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), three kilometers from the tip of the Llyn Peninsula in north-west Wales. It was settled by Celtic Christians in the 6th century.he In the 19th century, the remote island was a mile and a half long and half a mile at its widest, and was named by the Augustinian Canons in the 13th century.he century (the ruins of St Mary’s Priory can be seen) before a farming and fishing community took over.
It is still farmed today but is perhaps better known for its protected wildlife status as a National Nature Reserve, with, among other things, Manx shearwaters, gulls, coots, gray seals and dolphins to look out for. A 30-minute boat ride from Porth Meudwy near Aberdaron allows you to explore the island for four hours before the return journey. Are you looking for a place to stay? Porth Tocyn in Abersoch (01758 713303) has pairs from £160.
Bardsey Boat Tours (07971 769895; bardseyboattrips.com) operate from Porth Meudwy, near Aberdaron, to Bardsey Island from March to October and cost £50 return for an adult and £25 for a child.
Brightlingsea to East Mersea and Point Clear, Essex
Located just off Essex’s brassy Clacton-on-Sea and down the river from Roman Colchester, Brightlingsea might not be on your summer bucket list, but it packs a punch on its charm. There’s a simple beach, rows of cheerful seaside chalets and a surprisingly lively harbor filled with speedboats and yachts.
These include rounding the mouth of the River Colne to Point Clear, a walk along the St Osyth seawall and aircraft museum in a former Martello Tower, then a 12-passenger foot ferry across the estuary to East Mersea on the Isle of Mersea . . Secondly, you can enjoy the beach at Cudmore Grove Country Park. It certainly beats road traffic: Brightlingsea to Point Clear is 20 miles and a three-minute ferry ride; Mersea Island is about 40 miles away, but 10 minutes by ferry.
Brightlingsea Harbor Stewards Ferry (01206 302200; brightlingseaharbour.org) operates 1st until April 22And Travel from Brightlingsea to Point Clear and East Mersea in September costs £4.50 for a single adult and £3.50 for a child.