It may only take a few minutes, but that hasn't stopped King Harry Ferry being once voted as one of the most scenic ferry trips in the world by the travel experts of the Independent newspaper. It crosses the Carrick Roads section of the River Fal estuary between the National Trust's Trelissick Garden to the west and the Roseland Peninsula in the east. This saves a detour by road of some 30 miles via Truro.
A chain ferry has crossed the estuary at this point since 1888, when it was powered by a steam engine. However, it's likely crossings have been made at this point since at least medieval times and the reign of King Henry VI – one possibility for King Harry Ferry's unusual name.
Now in its seventh iteration, King Harry Ferry is one of just five chain ferries in the United Kingdom. It has used diesel-electric propulsion since the 1950s. Still locally-owned, it can take up to 34 family cars in one crossing, as well as a good number of foot passengers and those with bicycles. Pedestrians are asked for a charity donation, while a fixed charge (£9 return for cars) is made for those travelling by motor vehicle.
The ferry operates seven days a week, all the year round, at intervals of approximately twenty minutes from 7 am until 10 pm Monday to Saturday, and 9 am until 10 pm Sundays and bank holidays.
