Torpoint

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Town in Cornwall, England

title: "Torpoint" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["towns-in-cornwall", "civil-parishes-in-cornwall", "populated-coastal-places-in-cornwall"] description: "Town in Cornwall, England" topic_path: "general/towns-in-cornwall" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpoint" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Town in Cornwall, England ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox UK place"]

FieldValue
countryEngland
map_typeCornwall
coordinates
label_positionleft
official_nameTorpoint
cornish_namePenntorr
population7,444
population_ref(Parish, 2021)
7,160 (Built up area, 2021)
civil_parishTorpoint
unitary_englandCornwall
lieutenancy_englandCornwall
regionSouth West England
constituency_westminsterSouth East Cornwall
post_townTORPOINT
postcode_districtPL11
postcode_areaPL
dial_code01752
os_grid_referenceSX438552
websitehttp://www.torpointtowncouncil.gov.uk
static_image_nameTorpoint War Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 72337.jpg
static_image_captionThe Ellis Memorial in memory of James B. Ellis a Torpoint man who drowned in July 1897 trying to save two boys from the river Tamar.
::

|country = England |map_type= Cornwall |coordinates = |label_position= left |official_name= Torpoint |cornish_name= Penntorr | population = 7,444 | population_ref = (Parish, 2021) 7,160 (Built up area, 2021) |civil_parish= Torpoint |unitary_england= Cornwall |lieutenancy_england = Cornwall |region= South West England |constituency_westminster= South East Cornwall |post_town= TORPOINT |postcode_district = PL11 |postcode_area= PL |dial_code= 01752 |os_grid_reference= SX438552 |website= http://www.torpointtowncouncil.gov.uk |static_image_name = Torpoint War Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 72337.jpg |static_image_caption= The Ellis Memorial in memory of James B. Ellis a Torpoint man who drowned in July 1897 trying to save two boys from the river Tamar. Torpoint () is a town and civil parish on the Rame Peninsula in southeast Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated opposite the city of Plymouth across the Hamoaze which is the tidal estuary of the River Tamar. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 7,444 and the built up area had a population of 7,160.

Torpoint is linked to Plymouth (and Devonport) by the Torpoint Ferry. The three vessels that operate the service are chain ferries – that is, they are propelled across the river by pulling themselves on fixed chains which lie across the bed of the river. The journey takes about seven minutes.

Origin of name

It is said that Torpoint's name is derived from Tar Point, a name given because of the initial industry on the west bank of the Hamoaze. However this is actually a nickname given by workers, Torpoint meaning "rocky headland".

History

Torpoint is an eighteenth-century planned town. The grid-based design for the town was commissioned by Reginald Pole Carew in the Parish of Antony in 1774. His family continue to have a strong influence in the area, having become the Carew Poles in the twentieth century, and still reside at their family seat, Antony House.

In 1796 Torpoint was the setting for a shooting battle between the crew of a government vessel, the Viper, and a large party of armed liquor smugglers, in which one person was killed and five people seriously wounded.

Due to the presence of Devonport Dockyard, the town grew as Dockyard workers settled there. The establishment of the Royal Navy's main training facility, HMS Raleigh also increased the population of Torpoint.

Parish churches

Torpoint has four parish churches known at "Maryfield Church", "Torpoint Cornerstone Church" , "Catholic Church of Saint Joan of Arc" and "St James Church"

Notable people from Torpoint

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Portrait_of_John_Langdon_Down_(c_1870)_by_Sydney_Hodges.jpg" caption="[[John Langdon Down]] ca. 1870"] ::

See also :Category:People from Torpoint

Sport

Education

Educational institutions in Torpoint include:

Governance

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/York_Rd_-geograph.org.uk-_5186521.jpg" caption="Council Hall, corner of York Road and Buller Road (built 1904 as United Methodist Church)"] ::

There are two tiers of local government covering Torpoint, at parish (town) and unitary authority level: Torpoint Town Council and Cornwall Council. The town council meets at the Council Hall at the corner of York Road and Buller Road and has its offices in an adjoining pair of converted houses at 1-3 Buller Road.

Administrative history

Torpoint historically formed part of the ancient parish of Antony in the East Wivelshire Hundred of Cornwall.

Torpoint was made a separate ecclesiastical parish from Antony in 1873, although it remained part of Antony for civil purposes until 1904. When elected parish and district councils were created under the Local Government Act 1894, Antony was given a parish council and included in the St Germans Rural District.

In 1904 Torpoint was removed from the civil parish of Antony and the St Germans Rural District to become its own urban district. The building was formally re-opened in its new role in November 1934. The council built itself offices adjoining the Council Hall in 1937.

Torpoint Urban District was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The area became part of the new Caradon district. A successor parish called Torpoint was created at the same time, covering the area of the abolished urban district. As part of the 1974 reforms, parish councils were given the right to declare their parishes to be a town, allowing them to take the title of town council and giving the title of mayor to the council's chairperson. The new parish council for Torpoint exercised this right, taking the name Torpoint Town Council. Ron Widdecombe was the first mayor.

Caradon district was abolished in 2009. Cornwall County Council then took on district-level functions, making it a unitary authority, and was renamed Cornwall Council.

Sport and leisure

Torpoint has a non-league football club, Torpoint Athletic F.C., which plays at The Mill.

Cornish wrestling

Cornish wrestling tournaments, for prizes, were held in Torpoint in the 1700s.

Twinning

Torpoint is twinned with Benodet (Benoded) in Brittany, France.

Town Events and Holidays

Freedom of Torpoint march

St Piran's day

Armed Forces Day

Commonwealth Day

Day of Accession Council and Principal Proclamation

Merchant Navy Day

St George's Day

Christmas Lights Switch On

Civic Service

References

References

  1. "2021 Census Parish Profiles". Office for National Statistics.
  2. "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021". Office for National Statistics.
  3. (May 2014). "List of Place-names agreed by the MAGA Signage Panel". Cornish Language Partnership.
  4. Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 201 ''Plymouth & Launceston'' {{ISBN. 978-0-319-23146-3
  5. Mills, A. D.. (1996). "The Popular Dictionary of English Place-names". Parragon Book Service Ltd and Magpie Books.
  6. Codd, Daniel. ''Paranormal Devon'' (2013). Amberley Publishing. p.9-10. {{ISBN. 9781848681668.
  7. (July 2018). "History of Torpoint". Torpoint Town Council.
  8. {{cite DNB. Boase. George Clement. ()
  9. {{cite DNB. Courtney. William Prideaux. ()
  10. (July 2018). "Education". Torpoint Town Council.
  11. "Council meetings".
  12. "Antony Parish". GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth.
  13. (1914). "Kelly's Directory of Cornwall".
  14. (23 February 1895). "Antony". Western Morning News.
  15. (4 February 1933). "Methodist Church as offices: Torpoint Council negotiations". Western Morning News.
  16. "History of Torpoint".
  17. (2 November 2025). "Silver key ceremony at new Council Hall". Western Morning News.
  18. "Torpoint Urban District". GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth.
  19. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
  20. {{cite legislation UK. (1973)
  21. {{cite legislation UK. (1973)
  22. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
  23. {{cite legislation UK. (2008)
  24. {{cite legislation UK. (2009)
  25. Tripp, Michael: ''PERSISTENCE OF DIFFERENCE: A HISTORY OF CORNISH WRESTLING'', University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2009, Vol I p2-217.
  26. "About Us". Torpoint & District Twinning Association.
  27. "Freedom of Torpoint Parade 2023".
  28. "Torpoint Town Council - Happy St Piran's Day everyone. Proud to fly the flag at Sparrow Park. Enjoy your socially distanced pasties and scones....... don't forget jam first..... on the scones not the pasties!😂😋 ❤️ {{!}} Facebook".
  29. "Facebook".
  30. "Facebook".
  31. "Facebook".
  32. "Facebook".
  33. "Torpoint Town Council - Happy St George's Day! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 {{!}} Facebook".
  34. "Facebook".
  35. "Facebook".

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towns-in-cornwallcivil-parishes-in-cornwallpopulated-coastal-places-in-cornwall