The Twickenham Ferry, sometimes known as Dysart's Ferry, was a historic

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

crossing of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

in what is now the

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames () in south-west Greater London, London, England, forms part of Outer London and is the only London boroughs, London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The ferry connected a location just downstream to

Eel Pie Island Eel Pie Island is an island (or ait) in the River Thames at Twickenham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the maintained minimum head of water above Richmond Lock, the only lock on the Tideway, and is accessible by boat ...

in the town of

Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...

on the northern bank of the river with

Ham House Ham House is a 17th-century house set in formal gardens on the bank of the River Thames in Ham, London, Ham, south of Richmond, London, Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The original house was completed in 1610 by Thomas ...

on the southern bank. It should not be confused with today's Hammerton's Ferry, which crosses the river some distance downstream of the route of the Twickenham Ferry. The Thames at Twickenham

The earliest documentary reference to its existence known is in an ordinance of the Privy Council dated 19 August 1652, in which it was listed, with others, prohibiting use after sundown except by special dispensation. The right to license ferrymen was always claimed by the owners of Ham House, notably the Dysart family. The earliest known ferryman was Richard Blower, licensed prior to 1692. Over the years several rival ferries were operated. One, in the 1740s, was the subject of a court case brought by the Earl of Dysart and as a result closed down. The rival Hammerton's Ferry commenced operation in 1908. The Earl of Dysart again brought legal action against the operator, but this time he lost and the rival ferry remained in operation. When ownership of

was transferred to the

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

in 1948, ownership of the Twickenham Ferry was transferred to a private operator. After further changes in ownership, a decline in traffic and a long dispute about the right of way down the slipway on the Twickenham side it finally closed in about 1970.

Cultural depictions

Twickenham Ferry features in

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

' novel ''

Little Dorrit ''Little Dorrit'' is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, originally published in Serial (literature), serial form between 1855 and 1857. The story features Amy Dorrit, youngest child of her family, born and raised in the Marshalsea pris ...

'' when Arthur Clennam visits Meagles and crosses to

Ham Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in '' Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term '' ...

and back one morning. It is further commemorated in a song of 1878 written and composed by

Theo Marzials Théophile-Jules-Henri "Theo" Marzials (20 December 1850 – 2 February 1920) was a British composer, singer and poet.Howse, Christopher. ''The Daily Telegraph''. 18 October 2006. Did this man really write the worst poem ever?. Retrieved 16 Aug ...

(1850–1920).

Cultural depictions

References

Further reading