The Hamoaze (; ) is an
estuarine stretch of the tidal
River Tamar
The Tamar (; kw, Dowr Tamar) is a river in south west England, that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). A part of the Tamar Valley is a World Heritage Site due to its historic mining activities.
T ...
, between its confluence with the
River Lynher
The River Lynher ( kw, Linar) (or St Germans River downstream from its confluence with the Tiddy) flows through east Cornwall, England, and enters the River Tamar at the Hamoaze, which in turn flows into Plymouth Sound.
Navigation
The nor ...
and
Plymouth Sound
Plymouth Sound, or locally just The Sound, is a deep inlet or sound in the English Channel near Plymouth in England.
Description
Its southwest and southeast corners are Penlee Point in Cornwall and Wembury Point in Devon, a distance of abou ...
, England.
The name first appears as ''ryver of Hamose'' in 1588 and it originally most likely applied just to a creek of the estuary that led up to the manor of Ham, north of the present-day
Devonport Dockyard. The name evidently later came to be used for the estuary's main channel. The ''ose'' element possibly derives from
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...
meaning 'mud' (as in 'ooze') – the creek consisting of mud-banks at low tide.
The Hamoaze flows past Devonport Dockyard, which is one of three major bases of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
today. The presence of large numbers of small
watercraft
Any vehicle used in or on water as well as underwater, including boats, ships, hovercraft and submarines, is a watercraft, also known as a water vessel or waterborne vessel. A watercraft usually has a propulsive capability (whether by sail, ...
is a challenge and hazard to the
warship
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster ...
s using the naval base and dockyard. Navigation on the waterway is controlled by the
King's Harbour Master
A King's Harbour Master (abbreviated as KHM, also known as Queen's Harbour Master or QHM during the reign of a female monarch) is a harbourmaster and public official in Canada and the United Kingdom. Their official responsibilities includes enfor ...
for Plymouth.
The Dockyard Port of Plymouth Order 1999
/ref>
Settlements on the banks of the Hamoaze are Saltash
Saltash (Cornish: Essa) is a town and civil parish in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It had a population of 16,184 in 2011 census. Saltash faces the city of Plymouth over the River Tamar and is popularly known as "the Gateway to Corn ...
, Wilcove
Wilcove is a small coastal village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated one mile (1.6 km) north of Torpoint and one mile (1.6 km) west of Devonport (part of the city of Plymouth) across the Hamoaze, the tidal estuary ...
, Torpoint
Torpoint ( kw, Penntorr) is a civil parish and town on the Rame Peninsula in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated opposite the city of Plymouth across the Hamoaze which is the tidal estuary of the River Tamar.
Torpoint ha ...
and Cremyll
Cremyll (pronounced ) is a small coastal village in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Cremyll is on the Rame Peninsula facing Plymouth Sound. The village is about 9 miles by road or 0.5 miles by boat from Plymouth. It is in the civ ...
in Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, as well as Devonport and Plymouth in Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
.
Two regular ferry services crossing the Hamoaze exist: the Torpoint Ferry
The Torpoint Ferry is a car and pedestrian chain ferry connecting the A374 which crosses the Hamoaze, a stretch of water at the mouth of the River Tamar, between Devonport in Plymouth and Torpoint in Cornwall. The service was established in 17 ...
(a chain ferry that takes vehicles) and the Cremyll Ferry
The Cremyll ferry is a foot passenger ferry across the Hamoaze (the estuary of the River Tamar) from Admirals Hard in Stonehouse, Plymouth, Devon to Cremyll in Cornwall. It is operated by Plymouth boat Trips, and runs approximately every 30 minut ...
(passengers and cyclists only).
The Hamoaze has a street in Torpoint named after it.
See also
* Tamar-Tavy Estuary
References
Geography of Plymouth, Devon
Estuaries of England
Transport in Plymouth, Devon
Rivers of Cornwall
River Tamar
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