Ferries & Tidal Crossings on the South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path crosses a lot of water. Its southern half runs through drowned river valleys — the Yealm, the Avon, the Salcombe, the Dart, the Teign, the Exe, the Fowey, the Fal — and the official route uses a boat at each of them because the nearest bridge is often miles inland. In total 17 crossings, on 15 of the 52 stages. 8 run year-round; 6 are seasonal; and one has no boat at all.
- 17Crossings
- 8Year-round
- 6Seasonal
- 1Tidal wade
- 15Stages affected
Check times on the day. This page lists which crossings exist and roughly when they run, taken from the route data behind this site. It is not a timetable: seasons shift, several of these boats are on-demand rather than scheduled, and a last sailing in April is not a last sailing in August. Confirm with the operator before you commit to a day that depends on one.
Every crossing, in walking order
Listed south-west-bound from Minehead, the direction most walkers take. The stage number links to the full guide for that day.
| Stage | Crossing | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Instow–Appledore ferry Seasonal ferry (Apr–Oct, ~2 h either side of high water) across the Torridge; when not running, the walk detours inland via Bideford bridge. | Seasonal |
| 15 | Padstow–Rock ferry Year-round ferry across the Camel estuary; there is no bridge nearer than Wadebridge, so check the last sailing. | Year-round |
| 17 | Gannel crossing (Newquay–Crantock) Fern Pit / Penpol crossing of the Gannel — seasonal ferry or tidal stepping-stones; impassable near high water, when a long inland detour is needed. | Check locally |
| 28 | Gillan Creek crossing Stepping-stones fordable ~1 h either side of low water, or an on-demand seasonal ferry; otherwise a detour up to the head of the creek. | Check locally |
| 29 | Helford River ferry Seasonal on-demand ferry (Helford ↔ Helford Passage); no crossing in winter, when the detour via Gweek is long. | Seasonal |
| 30 | Falmouth–St Mawes ferry Year-round passenger ferry across Carrick Roads from the Prince of Wales Pier. | Year-round |
| 30 | St Mawes–Place ferry Seasonal ferry to Place on the Roseland; when not running, a long road walk around the Percuil River is required. | Seasonal |
| 33 | Fowey–Polruan ferry Year-round passenger ferry across the Fowey estuary. | Year-round |
| 35 | Cremyll ferry Year-round ferry across the Tamar (Cremyll ↔ Admiral's Hard, Plymouth) — the coast-path crossing between Cornwall and Devon. | Year-round |
| 36 | River Yealm ferry Seasonal ferry / water taxi (Warren Point ↔ Noss Mayo); check times or detour up the estuary. | Seasonal |
| 37 | River Erme tidal crossing WADE Wade only, ~1 h either side of low water at Mothecombe — no ferry; a taxi/inland detour is the wet-tide alternative. | Tidal — no ferry |
| 38 | River Avon ferry (Bantham) Seasonal ferry (Bantham ↔ Cockleridge); otherwise the Aveton Gifford tidal-road route up the Avon estuary. | Seasonal |
| 39 | Salcombe–East Portlemouth ferry Year-round ferry across the Salcombe (Kingsbridge) estuary. | Year-round |
| 41 | Dartmouth–Kingswear ferry Year-round ferry across the Dart (Lower/Passenger ferry). | Year-round |
| 43 | Teign ferry (Shaldon–Teignmouth) Long-established year-round on-demand ferry across the mouth of the Teign. | Year-round |
| 43 | Starcross–Exmouth ferry Seasonal ferry across the Exe (approx late Mar–Oct); off-season uses the train via Exeter. | Seasonal |
| 52 | Studland–Sandbanks chain ferry Year-round vehicle/foot chain ferry across the mouth of Poole Harbour at Shell Bay, beside the South Haven Point finish. | Year-round |
The one you cannot take a boat across
The River Erme, on Stage 37 between Newton Ferrers and Bigbury-on-Sea, has no ferry. Walkers wade it at Mothecombe, and the window is roughly an hour either side of low water. It is the single crossing on the path that has to be planned against a tide table rather than a timetable — get it wrong and the alternatives are a taxi or a long walk up the estuary.
Common questions
How many ferries are there on the South West Coast Path?
14 ferries and 1 tidal crossing without a boat — 17 in all, spread over 15 of the path's 52 stages. 8 of the ferries run year-round; 6 are seasonal.
Do you have to take the ferries on the South West Coast Path?
The ferries are part of the official route — the path was designed around them because these are drowned river valleys with no bridge near the coast. You can walk around every one of them, but the detours are long: the inland alternatives generally add anything from several miles to most of a day.
Which South West Coast Path ferries run all year?
Year-round crossings are Padstow–Rock ferry, Falmouth–St Mawes ferry, Fowey–Polruan ferry, Cremyll ferry, Salcombe–East Portlemouth ferry, Dartmouth–Kingswear ferry, Teign ferry (Shaldon–Teignmouth), Studland–Sandbanks chain ferry.
What happens if I miss the last ferry?
You either walk the inland detour, take a taxi round the estuary, or stop where you are. Last sailings are early by walkers' standards, particularly at either end of the season, and several of these boats are on-demand rather than timetabled — you have to be seen, or phone ahead. Check the operator's own times on the day: seasons and hours change, and this page lists which crossings exist, not today's timetable.
How do you cross the River Erme on the South West Coast Path?
You wade it. The Erme at Mothecombe is the one crossing on the path with no boat: it is passable for roughly an hour either side of low water, and at any other state of tide the alternative is a taxi or a long inland detour. Plan the day around the tide table rather than the other way round.
Are there ferries on the north Cornwall and north Devon coast?
Very few — the estuary crossings are concentrated on the south coast, where drowned river valleys cut deep inland. North of Land's End the path's estuaries are the Camel at Padstow, the Gannel at Newquay and the Taw–Torridge at Instow, and the long northern cliff sections have none at all.
Every crossing is marked in the app. The free South West Coast Walk app carries all 52 stages offline with the ferries, tidal crossings and water points mapped, so you can see what is coming while you walk. Each stage guide lists its own crossings too — see all 52 stages.