Saltash has seen many changes over the years. The waterside area beside
the River Tamar has been occupied for over a thousand years and was the
home to fishermen plying their trade for much of that time. A ferry ran
between Plymouth and Saltash for over 600 years before coming to an end
when the Tamar Bridge was opened to traffic in 1961. Modern
redevelopment also led to the clearance of many older buildings,
changing the look of the area forever. A number of industries have also
disappeared including quarrying, ship building and fishing. Gone too are
the limekilns as well as the gasworks and the brass and iron foundries.
The numerous tea gardens, the coal merchants and, of course, the ferry
are now just things of the past. A hundred years ago, the water's edge
was alive with activity. Fishing boats regularly called into Saltash and
many barges took produce up and down the river.