The Gateway to Cornwall

Saltash, a pleasant and friendly town of around 16,000 people, is the oldest borough in Cornwall. Founded in the twelfth century on the Cornish side of the Tamar, at a point where an ancient highway crossed the estuary by means of a ferry, it has long been known as "The Gateway to Cornwall".

Although the original ferry is no more, Saltash now has two unique bridges: Isambard K Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge has carried all rail passengers between Devon and Cornwall since 1859, and some 50,000 road vehicles daily cross the Tamar Bridge between Plymouth and Saltash.

The town itself is today the 7th-largest in Cornwall, having expanded exponentially over the centuries and absorbed the ancient communites at Burraton, South Pill, St Stephens, Warfelton, and Wearde.

Saltash Civil Parish includes not only the main town, but also the villages and hamlets of Antony Passage, Carkeel, Elmgate, Forder, Longlands, Trehan, Trematon, and Trevollard, as well as several country estates.

Just like Cornwall, Saltash Civil Parish is almost completely bounded by water: to the east by the River Tamar, to the south and west by the River Lynher, and to the north by two small streams (Cock's Lake which flows west into the Lynher, and Clark's Lake which flows east into the Tamar). The only 'dry' part of the boundary is the short distance between the two streams.

Set in the sheltered valley between Bodmin Moor to the north-west and Dartmoor to the north-east, most of Saltash Civil Parish is a picturesque and largely unspoilt rural landscape of hills and valleys, woods and streams, farms and small villages; more than half of it is in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

From its Norman churches and castle to the modern leisure centre and the prestigious China Fleet Club, from Victorian pubs and inns to brand-new restaurants and shops, from country walks and golfing to BMX biking and skateboarding, Saltash truly has 'something for everyone'.

Although there are a number of other websites focussing on various aspects of the town and district, at this time (the 7th of June 2016) there are no others covering Saltash Civil Parish in its entirety, past and present. 'Welcome to Saltash', a non-commercial privately-owned website, is an attempt to gather together all possible information concerning Saltash Civil Parish in an easy to read, simple to navigate, user-friendly and accessible form. I hope you enjoy your visit.

Essa a'gas dynnergh! ... Welcome To Saltash!

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page updated 2016-06-07