ONE of England’s oldest river crossings has been given a sustainable new lease on life.

From Thursday, May 22, the Calstock Ferry will resume service across the River Tamar, now operating as the UK’s first fully solar-powered cross-river passenger ferry.

With roots dating back to the Saxon period, the ferry once provided a vital link between Devon and Cornwall. For hundreds of years, it served communities along the river, supporting trade, travel, and local livelihoods.

Though passenger crossings ceased in 2015 due to tidal and access issues, the route has now been revived thanks to a major investment from the Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme – part of the Tamar Valley National Landscape and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Defra.

The new ferry is a lightweight aluminium electric landing craft, powered entirely by solar panels installed both on the vessel itself and on the roof of the restored historic ferry boat store in Calstock. This innovative system makes the ferry the first zero-emissions passenger ferry of its kind in the country.

The project has not only reintroduced a historic service, but also breathed new life into the surrounding area. The boat store, where the ferryman once lived and worked in the early 1900s, has also been fully refurbished with solar panels, new doors and windows. It will now serve as the ferry’s base of operations and a workshop space for the local community.

The ferry can carry up to seven passengers at a time and is open to foot traffic, cyclists, and families with prams, but is not suitable for vehicles. It will operate as a one-year trial, running with the tides, to determine if regular service can become financially sustainable in the long term.

In addition to connecting Ferry Farm in Devon with Calstock on the Cornish side, the ferry also supports walkers tackling the 87-mile Tamara Coast to Coast Way. By providing a crucial link in the route, it eliminates the need for a detour via train between Bere Alston and Calstock.

The ferry will also offer trips to nearby heritage attractions such as the National Trust’s Cotehele and Morwellham Quay. Scenic cruises, wildlife-watching and photography excursions will further showcase the natural beauty and heritage of the upper Tamar Valley.

Skipper Will Mattos, a lifelong resident and mariner on the Tamar, is thrilled to be leading the revival: “It’s a real honour to take the helm of the Calstock Ferry and be part of a tradition that stretches back hundreds of years. I’ve spent much of my life on the Tamar, and it means a lot to continue the work of the many skippers who’ve ferried people across this river before me.”

William Darwall, manager of the Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme, added: “We’re thrilled to bring the Calstock Ferry back into service. I live and grew up here and it’s a proud and exciting moment to see this centuries-old crossing revived using clean, solar-powered technologies, reconnecting communities in a way that honours the past while looking to the future.”

For more information visit www.calstockferry.com