Torpoint (Cornish: Penntorr) is a town in the far South East of Cornwall, England, 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.

Torpoint's name is derived from Tar Point, a name given because of the initial industry on the west bank of the Hamoaze.

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.

Torpoint was established by Sir Richard Carew-Pole in the Parish of Anthony in 17xx.

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 even more.

Torpoint's link to Plymouth (and Devonport) is faciltitated by three passenger and vehicle ferries. The current ferries are self-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. There are a number of good pubs and restaurants in Torpoint and one night club.

In the Cornish language Torpoint is called Penntorr, which is now the name of a local folk band.

External link

• Torpoint Web Directory - a comprehensive directory of Torpoint related websites and services.