Brightlingsea Foot and Cycle Ferry
15 October 2011
Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners have been providing a foot and cycle ferry service since 2004. It has established itself as a valuable community facility originally running only to Point Clear. During its second year of operation the service was extended to include East Mersea Stone.
The Brightlingsea/Point Clear/East Mersea Foot Ferry is now in its eighth season, providing ease of access between the three communities for both local people and visitors to the area.
The Ferry provides not only a means of crossing the creek, but opens up opportunities to explore the attractions and facilities the area has to offer. The custom built ferry boat has a ramp which can be lowered to allow easy access for wheelchair users and cycles, as well as foot passengers using the service. It also carries bikes and dogs.
Use of the Ferry greatly reduces road miles - typically a round trip by road between Brightlingsea and Point Clear is 22 miles, which takes just 3 minutes on the ferry. The round trip by road to East Mersea is 40 miles, but only takes approximately 9 minutes by Ferry.
Last year the Ferry carried approximately 7000 passengers to Point Clear and 9000 to East Mersea as against 8000 to Point Clear and 8000 to East Mersea the previous year.
The noticeable changes in ferry usage reported by the crew last year were :-
• An increase in young people using the ferry to maintain contact with friends in Point Clear and Brightlingsea especially during the school summer holiday (an 11 mile journey by road).
• An increase in passengers using the ferry for alternative commuting transport such as shopping and booked appointments at banks and the doctors surgery
• An increase in passengers with bikes throughout the season
• An increase in use by organised walking and cycling groups outside the main holiday period.
• Increased visits from users of the East Mersea Caravan sites.
The ferry timetable was maintained as in the previous year operating from 1000 to 1730 each day of operation. At the busiest times noticeably in the school summer holiday passengers for the ferry were queuing due to the high demand.
The ferry provided an on demand service to Point Clear and at least 3 times a day, return trips to East Mersea, scheduled at 1100, 1330 and 1600. Many more additional unscheduled trips were made to East Mersea to meet customer demand.
The number of trips provided this year remained similar to last year. The short harbour trips and round trips to East Mersea were again included in the normal service when possible, they both proved popular.
The original ferry boat is now 7 years old and its maintenance bill is increasing annually as it gets older. The development of a ferry service to Colchester when tides permit has been mooted in the Harbour for some years as a way of linking the river communities and would fit in well with the provision of pontoons and the regeneration of the Hythe at Colchester.
The Transcoast project will make it possible to purchase a new ferry boat to enable us to extend the service. We will purchase a new ferry boat which can enhance the current service at busy times and provide a new service to Wivenhoe, Rowhedge and Colchester when tidal conditions permit in the summer and provide a service during the winter months.
The Ferry has become an important means of transport between the three communities and is used by both tourists and local people creating a connection between the town and the waterfront and encouraging community involvement in the waterside area.
