Horses and Carriages on the Starcross to Exmouth Ferry

 acknowledgements to the late Jim Shapter

An extract from
A GUIDE TO ALL THE WATERING AND SEA BATHING PLACES
dated 1815

Ferry from Exmouth to the opposite side of the Exe
         Passengers and horses may cross over at
 all times unless it be in a hard gale of wind.
 Carriages cannot be taken over without risk;
though they are seldom impeded more than a
few hours

Prices of the Ferry::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
For a four-wheeled carriage ::: 3s.  0d.
For a two-wheeled carriage ::: 1s. 6d.
For a horse :::: ::::  :::: ::::              4d.
Man, woman and child ::::  ::::      2d.
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
On Sundays and likewise on weekdays
 after sunset, these prices are doubled

Starcross station. Starcross - Exmouth Ferry under way

 The entire book, by John Feltham, has been digitized by Google and is FREELY AVAILABLE  on
THIS LINK
the reference above continues:
[digital page 284]
 Miles. Distance from Exmouth to Exeter - - - - 10 .
Sidmouth, over the Peak Hill 10
going round to avoid the Peak Hill - - 14
Dawlish, (crossing the ferry) 34
Teignmouth ----- 7.
Newton ------ 14
Totness ---.--- 22
From Exmouth, by water, to Powderham Castle, is a short and beautiful row.
 From Exmouth (crossing the ferry) to Ugbrook is about 10 miles but every four-wheeled carriage should go with 4 horses from Dawlish and back again on account of the Haldon Hills

[reference to Exmouth starts at page 237 which is digital page 281]

James Barratt; a Victorian water boatman of 9, New Road, Starcross

This photograph, by the reknowned photographer George Gibbings (1920 - 2010)

The Cygnet in Exeter Maritime Museum

of The Cygnet before she went to her present location in nearby Topsham Museum, led the research to his obituary in August, 2010 by John Evans on Devon and Cornwall Online
in which is quoted this, from George Gibbings' nephew, Les Gibbings, about The Swan of the Exe and its tender The Cygnet

Les Gibbings
Les has provided DCO with some more local history about the River Exe which bears upon his own family story in the area.

My great great grandfather, James Barratt (a water boatman), and his family, including my great grandmother, Elizabeth, lived at 9 New Street, Starcross in the mid 1800s. The terrace of cottages were located in the street opposite the Courtney Arms Hotel on the front. They were converted into eight units about 20 years ago.
There were a number of people who plied a local ferry trade on the Exe and across to Exmouth and he was one. The Swan was a pleasure vessel that was well known in the area. It had a unique bottom it seems, either glass or at least a hole for fishing from within the boat.
The Cygnet was a small rowing craft with a swan’s neck that I found, to my utter amazement, in the Exeter Maritime Museum in the 1990s (or was it the 1980s?) and which family folklore said was used by us.
My grandfather was called James Barratt Gibbings, as were my late father and my eldest brother, so the links are obvious. He spent most of his formative years up to adulthood in the area.
The Gibbin(g)s family lived in Littleham / Withycombe Raleigh across the river.