Dartmouth England
United Kingdom

11 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Oceania Cruises (4 Cruises)

Ponant (5 Cruises)

SeaDream Yacht Club (2 Cruises)

Entering the Dart counts among England's finest approaches: a narrow estuary guarded on both sides by two castles, Devon hills plunging into green water, then Dartmouth appearing, tiered on its bank, with the Britannia Royal Naval College dominating the roofs like a palace. Ships anchor in the river or at its mouth depending on size, and the tender—about ten minutes—lands passengers at the Town Jetty, in the centre.

Six Hundred Years Guarding the Entrance

Dartmouth Castle has locked the estuary entrance for over six centuries. Its gunners once stretched a chain to the opposite shore to bar the passage to enemy ships. You reach it on foot by a lovely coastal road of about twenty minutes, or by river shuttle crossing from the centre. From the gun emplacements to the battlements, everything breathes old Franco-English rivalry; the chapel of Saint Petrox, against the walls, adds a note of peace to the place.

Bayard's Cove and Memory of the Mayflower

Returning toward the centre, pause at Bayard's Cove, a paved quay bordered by old houses little changed since the seventeenth century. It was here the Mayflower and Speedwell called in 1620 for repairs before the crossing to the New World. The television series The Onedin Line also filmed its port scenes here, which says much about the authenticity of the setting. Metres further, the old town lines its steep laneways: the Butterwalk, a row of seventeenth-century jettied houses set on granite columns, ranks as the finest piece.

The Naval College on Its Hill

Above the town, Britannia Royal Naval College has trained Royal Navy officers since 1905. Nearly every recent British sovereign passed through—it was indeed there that the future Elizabeth II met Prince Philip in 1939. The building of brick and stone, work of architect Aston Webb, can be visited only on a pre-booked guided tour; if places lack, its silhouette seen from the river remains one of the port-call's strong images.

The Dart, a River to Ascend

Dartmouth is also savoured from the water. The ferry reaches Kingswear, the village of pastel façades on the opposite shore, in minutes, from which the steam railway departs for Paignton—smoking locomotives, ancient coaches, glimpses over the sea. Pleasure boats meanwhile ascend the Dart toward Totnes, between woods, heronries and villages moored to their pontoons. Along the way hides Greenway, Agatha Christie's holiday home, preserved as she left it and accessible by river shuttle: the novelist wrote there between croquet games, facing this river that inspired several of her plots.

Culinary Pauses

Devon has its institutions: cream tea—scones, clotted cream, jam, and mind the assembly order, a subject of regional dispute with neighbouring Cornwall—farm-cream ice creams, and fish and chips savoured on the quay while watching gulls, who await only a second's inattention. Waterside pubs serve crabs and mussels from the bay in rooms of low beams, where yellowed photographs of regattas tell a century of river life.

Final Look from the River

The return by tender offers the finest possible conclusion: the town receding, the naval college on its height, the two castles closing behind you like the wings of a door. Generations of sailors—explorers, emigrants, cadets—have seen Dartmouth disappear thus in their wake. For the space of a port-call, you will have shared their final look and understood why so many of them always wanted to return.

Frequently Asked Questions

The ship does not come alongside. Vessels anchor in the River Dart or at its mouth depending on their size, and tenders bring passengers to the Town Jetty after about ten minutes. The landing is right in the town centre, at the foot of the old streets.
Yes, entirely. The Town Jetty opens straight onto the old town: Fore Street, the Butterwalk and Bayard's Cove are all a few minutes' walk away. No shuttle is needed for the centre, but be ready for steep, cobbled lanes.
The classic loop fits in four hours: the old town and the Butterwalk, the cobbled quay at Bayard's Cove where the Mayflower stopped for repairs in 1620, then the twenty-minute coastal walk to Dartmouth Castle. With time to spare, the Kingswear ferry takes only a few minutes.
On foot, along a pleasant coastal road about twenty minutes from the centre, or by the river shuttle that crosses from the quay. The castle has guarded the mouth of the estuary for more than six centuries; its gunners once stretched a chain across to the far bank to block enemy ships.
Only on a pre-booked guided tour, and places go quickly. The college has trained Royal Navy officers since 1905, and it is where the future Elizabeth II met Prince Philip in 1939. If no places remain, its silhouette seen from the river is still one of the great images of the call.
It is the finest way to see Devon from the water: woods, heronries and villages moored to their pontoons. Greenway, Agatha Christie's holiday home kept as she left it, is reached by river shuttle. Allow half a day and check your all-aboard time before setting off.
Yes, provided everyone enjoys walking. The Kingswear ferry and the steam railway to Paignton, with its smoking locomotives and vintage carriages, are a hit with children. Fish and chips on the quay is a classic, but watch the gulls: they wait for one moment of inattention.
Pounds sterling. Credit cards and contactless payment work everywhere, including in small shops and pubs. There is no need to change money for a one-day call.
English, with the soft Devon accent. Shops and heritage sites offer no service in French, and guided tours of the castle and the naval college are in English only.
May to September, when days are long and the Devon gardens are at their best. The climate stays mild but changeable year-round, so a waterproof layer is wise even on a fine forecast, and because the ship anchors offshore the call is sensitive to rough seas.