Our history

Torpoint may sit quietly on the Cornish side of the River Tamar, but its story is far from ordinary. Officially founded in the 18th century, the town was laid out in a neat grid of streets by Reginald Pole Carew, a local landowner with a vision for growth.

Thanks to its strategic location just across the water from Plymouth, Torpoint quickly became a vital link between Cornwall and Devon and an important part of naval life.

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The Torpoint Ferry has been a vital link across the River Tamar since 1791. In the early days, sail and oar-powered boats battled tides and wind, later giving way to steam. Everything changed in 1831, when engineer James Meadows Rendel introduced the first chain ferry, a clever design that pulled itself along fixed riverbed chains. It was a game-changer: reliable, efficient, and so effective that the same principle is still in use today.

Over the years, new generations of ferries arrived roughly every forty years, with steam power in use until 1960. Originally privately owned, the service became publicly run in 1922, ensuring it remained part of daily life for locals and visitors. The construction of the Tamar Bridge in the 1960s led to joint ownership and investment in newer ferries.

The current vessels, commissioned in 2003, carry millions each year. Proof that simple, smart engineering can stand the test of time.

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The town’s fortunes grew with the arrival of HMS Raleigh in 1940, the Royal Navy’s largest training establishment. Since then, generations of sailors have marched through its gates, giving Torpoint a strong naval identity that still shapes daily life today.

Historically, Torpoint has weathered industrial change, wartime losses and social shifts with quiet resilience. It may not shout its history from the rooftops, but it’s written in the lanes, the waterfront, and the pride of its people.

Today, Torpoint blends its naval legacy with a warm, down-to-earth Cornish spirit. It's a passageway to the wild beauty of the Rame Peninsula. And a town where history still walks the streets, often with a pasty in hand and the scent of salt in the air.