Britain's oldest ferry?

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Published on July 15, 2020 10:05:52 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Tc3t1k5pY

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Walberswick is a quaint small village on the Suffolk coast in South East England. It lies across the River Blyth from its nearest big town, Southwold.

There is a road connecting the two places but that can take 20 minutes or if you don’t have to carry much it’s just a short hop by one of the UK's last remaining rowed ferries.

It’s run by Dani Church who is in her early 40’s and is the fifth generation of the family to run the 125-year-old, low-tech ferry business.


Although the service actually started in the 13th Century, Dani's great-great-grandfather's brother, Benjamin Cross, was the first ferryman of her family in 1885. Initially, a chain link service that could carry a cart, two horses and 30 passengers was in operation but in the 1930’s the ferry fell into disrepair and it was not making any money, so a rowing boat service superseded this.

Dani rows a traditional wooden boat back and forth across the River Blyth between Southwold and Walberswick up to 100 times a day between April and September, carrying up to 11 passengers who are each charged 90p. Buggies, prams, bikes and tandems have also accompanied passengers, but dogs go free.

Aside from providing a valuable service for the local community, it is also very popular with tourists.

The journey can take between 2 to 10 minutes, depending on the tide, current (up to 7 knots) and wind conditions. The distance between the two jetties is 50 metres when the tide is high and 25 metres when it’s at low tide.


Her ‘office’ is like no other, with views towards the sea in most directions, there is no telephone or modern-day appliances – just a set of oars, a boat and the two jetties.

It has become more than a job to Dani; it’s a way of life. She took responsibility for the service when her late father passed away and she even first met her husband, Crispin, on the river. She loves working outside and her rowing keeps her fit and healthy. She operates the service with pride and a sense of responsibility for maintaining her ancestor’s legacy.

In a world of high stress and fast living, Dani finds it reassuring that there are still some services that have been untouched by the digital explosion. To many of her delighted passengers, the service provides a step back in time to a more gentle, less rushed form of transport and some find it a bit of a novelty to have female ferrywomen!