Dartmouth Harbour 5.01

Dartmouth Harbour is a natural port located in Dartmouth, Devon, England. It is situated at the mouth of the River Dart on the English Channel. Bayard's Cove Fort is a small fort, which was built to defend the harbour's entrance. The crafts which dock at the port are mainly local fishing vessels, naval ships and luxury yachts; warships routinely visit the harbour. The River Dart is navigable from Dartmouth to the old weir location at Totnes.GeographyThe harbour is located at the mouth of the River Dart, which rises high on Dartmoor, and enters the sea at Dartmouth. The river begins as two separate branches, which join at Dartmeet. The rivers are crossed by a number of clapper bridges, notably at the hamlet of Postbridge. At Totnes a weir has been constructed across the river. The river reach between the Totnes weir and the port is tidal and hence navigable, and there are no bridges across the river in this reach. The banks of the lower Dart are covered in ancient woodland of native oak. The entrance to the river from the sea is rocky with cliffs on either side. The lower section of the River Dart forms the Dartmouth Harbour, a deep water natural harbour with a long history of maritime usage.