The King Harry Ferry Bridge is chain vehicle ferry crossing the River Fal the alternative is a 26 mile detour by road. The current ferry boat was built in 2006 and can carry up to 34 cars.

The ferry crosses the river approximately halfway betwen Falmouth and Truro from which a regular ferry service is operated by Enterprise boats.

There has probably been a ferry of some type located  at the King Harry Passage for centuries.  However,  the origins of the name are not clear. One suggestion is that King Henry VIII spent his honeymoon with Anne Boleyn at St Mawes giving a charter for the ferry.

A more popular theory is that a small chapel formerly stood on the Philleigh side of the passage the remains of which can be seen as a small pile of stones, the Chapel is mentioned in 1528 as "The Chapel of St. Mary and King Henry", commemorating King Henry VI, murdered in 1471.

The King Harry Steam Ferry commenced operation in 1888 using a steam engine to haul the ferry along the chains.  This replaced a manually propelled barge.  All ferries since 1956 have been pwered by diesel engines.

The ferry crossing of the River Fal has been voted one of the ten most scenic ferry trips in the world by The Independent,joining the Staten Island Ferry in New York and the Star Ferry in Hong Kong.

The Feock side of the ferry is next to the National Trust owned Trelissick Gardens.  Further up the river and visible from the Ferry crossing is the area where the Truro Harbour master arranges ships to be laid up in the times when owners have no work for them.

The image below is if one of Enterprise boats regular operating their Ferry service approaching the Ferry. This image is of the old Ferry.

We have a video clip from ITV Westcountry on the topic of Cornwall ferries that features both the St Mawes Ferry and the King Harry ferry.

Location