Of all the ways to get around, none is quite as romantic as going by boat. And, amid rising interest in slower, more immersive experiences – “slow travel” is the buzz phrase of 2025, according to the market research firm Euromonitor – it is little wonder that ferries are capturing imaginations again.

Ferry bookings leapt by 116 per cent last year compared with 2023, figures from the booking platform Omio show.

However, many of the UK’s most interesting crossings are not the kind that you can book online. From a rowboat called Doris to a wind-powered vessel across the Channel, here are Britain’s more eccentric ferries to try this summer – plus some that will take you to unusual places.

The Calstock Ferry, Devon/Cornwall

In May, the new solar-powered Calstock Ferry revived a Saxon-

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