Torpoint

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Torpoint (Cornish: Penntorr) is a town in the far South East of Cornwall, United Kingdom, separated from the City of Plymouth by a stretch of water referred to as the Hamoaze, which itself is the mouth of the River Tamar. It is on the Rame Peninsula.

Torpoint's link to Plymouth (and Devonport) is facilitated by three passenger and vehicle ferries. The current ferries are propelled across the river by pulling themselves on chains. These chains sink to the bottom to allow shipping movements in the river. The ferry journey takes approximately 10 minutes.

Torpoint's population is approximately 11,000. In the Cornish language Torpoint is called Penntorr, which is now also the name of a local folk band.

Origin of name

It is a common tale that Torpoint's name is derived from Tar Point, a name given because of the initial industry on the west bank of the Hamoaze. However this is actually a nickname given by workers, torpoint meaning prominent/rocky point in dialect.

Wooden ships used to have their hulls waterproofed using tar. To facilitate this, a square ballast pond was built in the estuary with an entrance port on one side. A ship would enter the ballast pond and be tied to one wall. Then on the low tide, the ship would lean on one side to allow the tarring. On the next tide, the ship would be tied to the opposite wall to complete the job.

History

Torpoint was established by Sir Richard Carew-Pole in the Parish of Antony in the 1700s. Due to the presence of Devonport Dockyard, the town grew as Dockyard workers settled there. The establishment of the Royal Navy's main training facility, HMS Raleigh, on the west side of Torpoint, boosted the number of inhabitants.

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