The MV Edgecumbe Belle is a single screw

Propeller

A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...

 passenger vessel, operating from Dartmouth, Devon

Dartmouth, Devon

Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...

, UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 to Kingswear

Kingswear

Kingswear is a village and civil parish in the South Hams area of the English county of Devon. The village is located on the east bank of the tidal River Dart, close to the river's mouth and opposite the small town of Dartmouth...

 for Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd.

History

The Dartmouth-Kingswear Passenger Ferry

Dartmouth Ferry

The Dartmouth Ferry, sometimes called the Kingswear Ferry, may refer to one of three ferries that link Dartmouth and Kingswear, on opposite sides of the River Dart in the English county of Devon. From north to south, these ferries are:...

 is primarily used to link the town of Dartmouth with the railway station on the other side of the River Dart

River Dart

The River Dart is a river in Devon, England which rises high on Dartmoor, and releases to the sea at Dartmouth. Its valley and surrounding area is a place of great natural beauty.-Watercourse:...

 at Kingswear. It has long been operated by the railway companies, who maintained a 'station' at the Dartmouth side of the river, with no tracks - instead passengers boarded the ferry

Ferry

A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...

 to Kingswear, and thence the train towards Paignton

Paignton

Paignton is a coastal town in Devon in England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the unitary authority of Torbay which was created in 1998. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton's population in the United Kingdom Census of 2001 was 48,251. It has...

.

In 1954 British Railways, the then operator of the ferry decided that their present vessel, the SS Mew was too expensive to operate, and decided to replace her with a smaller and cheaper motor vessel.
.

They chartered first the MV Lady Elizabeth and then the MV Western Belle

MV Western Belle

The MV Western Belle is a twinscrew passenger vessel, presently laid up at Maryport, Cumbria, UK. She is owned by Ullswater Transit and Navigation Company...

from the Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Co Ltd

Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Co Ltd

The Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company was a ferry operator on the River Tamar in South Devon. It was started in 1894, and initially operated a fery route from Millbrook in Cornwall to Plymouth. It expanded, and eventually became the largest river boat operator in the Plymouth area, until its...

 of Plymouth

Plymouth

Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...

. The former vessel was unsuitable for the route, however the latter appears to have been quite successful, although there were complaints about the use of a Plymouth vessel, when suitable vessels were avaialable from Dartmouth, so the MV Western Belle was replaced by the River Dart Steamboat Co Ltd

River Dart Steamboat Co Ltd

The River Dart Steamboat Co Ltd and its predecessors: the Dartmouth Steam Packet Company and the Dartmouth and Torbay Steam Packet Company were the major ferry and excursion boat operators on the River Dart in South Devon for 120 years, until its demise in 1976...

'sMV Seymour Castle

MV Seymour Castle

The MV Seymour Castle is presently sailing for Thames River Cruises of Reading, England as the MV Devon Belle.She is registered on the National Register of Historic Vessels, certificate number 1955, and was one of the Dunkirk Little Ships-Design:...

.
.

In 1956, therefore British Rail finally ordered two motor vesels of their own from Blackmore & Sons of Bideford

Bideford

Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...

, North Devon

North Devon

North Devon is the northern part of the English county of Devon. It is also the name of a local government district in Devon. Its council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and Lynmouth...

. Named MV Adrian Gilbert and MV Humphrey Gilbert after two famous local explorers

Humphrey Gilbert

Sir Humphrey Gilbert of Devon in England was a half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh. Adventurer, explorer, member of parliament, and soldier, he served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth and was a pioneer of English colonization in North America and the Plantations of Ireland.-Early life:Gilbert...

 from Greenway

Greenway

-People:* Barney Greenway , British death metal vocalist* Brian Greenway , Canadian guitarist and vocalist* Chad Greenway , American football player* Francis Greenway , Australian architect...

 House. In 1972 British Railways closed the railway from Goodrington

Goodrington

Goodrington is a coastal village in Devon, England. It is situated in Torbay and lies between Torquay and Brixham, less than south of Paignton....

 to Kingswear, and the ferry route, and vessels, passed into local authority ownership, first Dartmouth Borough Council, then South Hams District Council. In 1976 the ferry was taken over by Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd, but both vessels were sold to the St Mawes Ferry Co, for service from Falmouth, Cornwall

Falmouth, Cornwall

Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....

 to St Mawes

St Mawes

St Mawes is a small town opposite Falmouth, on the Roseland Peninsula on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It lies on the east bank of the Carrick Roads, a large waterway created after the Ice Age from an ancient valley which flooded as the melt waters caused the sea level to...

. They were deemed unsuitable, however, and there is some doubt as to whether they ever left the Dart!
.
British Rail repurchased them for use on the River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

 on the Gravesend - Tilbury Ferry

Gravesend - Tilbury Ferry

The Gravesend - Tilbury Ferry is a passenger ferry across the River Thames east of London. It links Gravesend and Tilbury, and is the last publicly accessible crossing point before the Thames reaches the sea.-History:see also notes on Tilbury...

. Again they were deemed unsuitable, both were re-engined and sold. MV Adrian Gilbert was sold to Dart Pleasure Craft, and returned to the Dartmouth-Kingswear Ferry. MV Humphrey Gilbert was laid up in Newhaven, East Sussex

Newhaven, East Sussex

Newhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...

, and in 1978 was sold to Meridian Line Cruises of Greenwich

Greenwich

Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...

 on the River Thames, but remained laid up.

In 1978 Humphrey Gilbert was purchased by the Millbrook Steamboat and Trading Co, renamed MV Edgecumbe Belle and used on the Plymouth - Drake's Island

Drake's Island

Drake's Island is a island lying in Plymouth Sound, the stretch of water south of the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. The rocks which make up the island are volcanic tuff and lava, together with marine limestone of the mid-Devonian period.-Early history:...

 ferry, also relieving on the Cremyll Ferry

Cremyll Ferry

The Cremyll ferry runs across the River Tamar from Admirals Hard in Stonehouse, Plymouth, Devon to Cremyll in Cornwall. It is presently operated by Tamar Cruising, and runs approximately every 30 minutes, with a 10 minute crossing time.-History:...

 from time to time. She remained with the Millbrook Company after it was taken over by Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd, but in 1985 Dart Pleasure Craft withdrew from the Plymouth area, and MV Edgecumbe Belle returned to the Dart, and joined her sister on the Dartmouth-Kingswear ferry.
.
In 1996 the Adrian Gilbert was again sold to operate on the St Mawes Ferry, and was replaced by the MV Kingswear Belle. In 2000 Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd bought G.H. Riddalls and Sons

G.H. Riddalls and Sons

G.H. Riddalls and Sons was a passenger boat operator on the River Dart, in South Devon, UK. They operated on the route from Dartmouth to Totnes, on circular cruises from Dartmouth and also ran the ferry service from Dartmouth to Dittisham...

 fleet, and introduced the former Riddalls vessel Dartmouth Princess

MV Devon Belle II

The MV Dartmouth Princess is a single screw passenger vessel, operating on the River Dart in South Devon, UK. She is presently mainly used on the Dartmouth Passenger Ferry service from Dartmouth to Kingswear, where she runs year-round as the main vessel....

 on the Kingswear ferry. MV Edgecumbe Belle was therefore used on a new service to Greenway Quay, where the National Trust

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty

The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...

 had opened Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie

Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...

's house and gardens to the public (incidentally this house was previously the home of the Gilbert family, after which the vessel was originally named). This service was later withdrawn and Dart Pleasure Craft instead market the Greenway Ferry Company's similar service. MV Edgecumbe Belle is now back as the relief boat on the Kingswear ferry, and sees considerable operation on the route, as the MV Kingswear Belle now appears to receive little use.

It is interesting that Dart Pleasure Craft Ltd is now owned by Dart Valley Railway plc, owners of the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway

Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway

The Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway is a heritage railway on the former Kingswear branch line between Paignton and Kingswear in Torbay, Devon, England....

, so the ownership and operation of the vessel have come full circle, and once again passengers from Dartmouth buy their train tickets to include the ferry to Kingswear.