The story
Welcome to the edge of the water at Bodinnick. As you stand here by the slipway, perhaps waiting for the heavy metal ramp of the car ferry to lower, you are stepping into a pocket of Cornwall that has remained stubbornly, beautifully unchanged for centuries. Listen for a moment to the rhythmic churn of the water and the low, mechanical hum of the engines.
This isn't just a modern convenience or a simple commute; it is a crossing that has connected these two steep banks since long before engines or even the concept of a car existed. Look up at the prominent white house standing like a sentinel right beside the ferry slip. That is Ferryside.
In the mid-1920s, a young, spirited woman named Daphne du Maurier came here with her family and fell head over heels for this rugged, tidal coastline. It was in that very house, overlooking the constant movement of the river, that she wrote her first novel, The Loving Spirit. She watched the same tides you are looking at now, finding the shadows and the romance that would eventually fill the pages of her masterpieces like Rebecca and Jamaica Inn.
For du Maurier, Bodinnick was the place where her creative soul finally felt at home, and her family still maintains a deep connection to this house today. Behind you, the village of Bodinnick clings almost impossibly to the hillside. The Old Ferry Inn has served weary travelers and thirsty sailors for over four hundred years.
Imagine the horses, carts, and livestock that used to navigate these narrow, vertical lanes, waiting their turn to be rowed across the river in sturdy wooden boats. It was a perilous and slow business back then, dictated entirely by the whim of the wind and the strength of the rowers' arms. Today, the modern ferry makes it look effortless as it glides along its guided wires, but the river has not lost its ancient power.
If you look toward the dense trees to your right, you will find the start of Hall Walk. This legendary woodland path follows the creek toward Polruan and offers the most spectacular panoramic views of Fowey’s harbor. It is steeped in history; it is said that King Charles the First once walked that very trail during the Civil War in 1644, narrowly escaping a rebel’s bullet while surveying his fleet below.
As the ferry pulls away and the gap between the banks begins to widen, take a breath of the salt air. Bodinnick is a village of transitions, a gateway between the high wooded cliffs and the open sea. The Fowey River doesn't just divide these hills; it holds their stories in its deep, dark currents.
Enjoy the short voyage, keep your eyes on the horizon, and let the spirit of the river guide your journey onward.