Explore Penzance: Cornwall's Artistic Coastal Gem

Four vintage-style tickets in gold and silver colors, labeled 'my return ticket' and marked 'ADMIT ONE'.

VERDICT: WE GAVE 3 OUT OF 5 TICKETS AND HERE’S WHY!

This guide forms part of our complete UK Travel Guide, featuring scenic road trips, iconic destinations, practical travel advice and honest first-hand travel experiences from across the United Kingdom.

This feature article is part of our 3 Days in Cornwall: Ultimate Guide. We travelled from Land’s End, Penzance and Mousehole to St Michael’s Mount, Falmouth, and our favourite, St Mawes. Along the way, we experienced Bodmin Jail, the King Harry Ferry, Tamar Bridge and Dartmoor. Follow our Cornwall road trip with personal experiences and practical visitor tips. Read the complete three-day Cornwall guide here.

You can also catch up on other counties in our English Counties Travel Guide. We’ve included the counties of coastal Dorset to Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, Merseyside and Greater London. Along the way, we’ve discovered historic cities, royal landmarks, spectacular coastlines and unforgettable road trips. Explore our firsthand county travel guides to help plan a better, more informed English vacation.

The Tamar Bridge is a suspension bridge in the south-west of England, carrying the A38 trunk road across the River Tamar spanning between the City of Plymouth on the east bank and the town of Saltash on the west bank.

🌉 Tamar Bridge:

The Tamar Bridge is a suspension bridge over the River Tamar between Saltash, Cornwall and Plymouth, Devon in southwest England. It is 335 metres (1,099 ft) long, running adjacent the Royal Albert Bridge, and part of the A38, a main road between the two counties.

Crossing the Tamar Bridge feels like entering another world: Cornwall proper as they say!

We could not agree more. Every time we head to Cornwall and cross the Tamar Bridge, things feel different. It’s hard to put into words, but you know you are entering Cornwall and that’s a great thing!

History:

The construction of the Tamar Bridge marked a turning point in Cornwall’s modern history. Opened in 1961, the bridge was built to replace the old Torpoint ferry as the primary crossing between Devon and Cornwall, responding to growing traffic, tourism, and economic demand.

Spanning the River Tamar, the bridge was an ambitious engineering project for its time, designed to carry both road traffic and, originally, a rail line. Its suspension design allowed ships to continue navigating the river below while providing a reliable, all-weather link between the two counties.

The importance of the Tamar Bridge goes far beyond convenience. For centuries, the River Tamar acted as a natural barrier, reinforcing Cornwall’s physical separation and distinct cultural identity. By permanently linking Devon and Cornwall, the bridge transformed travel, trade, and daily life, making it easier for residents, workers, and visitors to move between regions.

Yet despite improving access, the crossing retained its symbolic power; many still see the moment of driving over the Tamar as the true point of arrival into Cornwall. The bridge stands today not only as a feat of engineering, but as a gateway that connects two counties while highlighting Cornwall’s unique sense of place.

The Tamar Bridge was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson and constructed by Sir William Arrol & Co, one of Britain’s most respected bridge-building companies of the 20th century. Construction began in the late 1950s, and the bridge officially opened in 1961, representing a major engineering achievement for its time.

Visitor Experience

• River views
• Symbolic arrival moment

Cost

• Toll ~£3 (eastbound)

Nearby Sightseeing

• Plymouth Hoe
• Antony Woodland Garden

Key Details: Check This Link For More Information

Direction: Tolls are only charged in the eastbound direction (traveling from Saltash, Cornwall to Plymouth, Devon). Westbound travel is free.
TamarTag: Regular users can save 50% using the prepaid Tamar Crossings electronic tag system, which carries a monthly administration fee of 80p.
Trailers/Caravans: Surcharges apply if you are towing a trailer or caravan (+£3.00 for standard card payments or +£1.50 for tag users).

Tamar Bridge: The Gateway to Cornwall Why it matters: This is where Cornwall begins.
Highlights: Sweeping river views, dramatic arrival moment.
History: Opened in 1961 to improve access to Cornwall while preserving its distinct identity.
Unique story: Crossing the Tamar feels less like entering a county and more like crossing into a culture.
Visitor feel: Anticipation: holidays start here.

Crossing the Tamar Bridge is widely seen as the symbolic moment you “enter Cornwall,” marking a cultural shift as much as a geographic one.

Cornwall is not just a place you visit; it’s a place you feel. Shaped by the Atlantic and English Channel, forged through fishing, mining, and seafaring, and fiercely proud of its identity, Cornwall offers stories as rich as its landscapes. Below is an exclusive, visitor guide to one of Cornwall’s most loved locations, with its own personality, history, and reason to be explored.

Explore these places in Cornwall England

Continue exploring Cornwall

Nearby attractions

Eden Project and Zipline

Planning your trip?

Before you go, don’t forget to book the essentials:

With every trip, we offer feedback to travel companies along with honest views for you, the reader. We rate adventures on a scale of one to five tickets, judged on quality, service, memorability, and price. A perfect ‘Ticket Rating’ of a five-ticket score means the experience was flawless and we’d eagerly return. Your desire to go back is the ultimate measure of a trip’s worth. Exclusive to My Return Ticket.

Cornwall

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Tamar Suspension Bridge ⎮ Where Cornwall Begins ⎮Sweeping River Views ⎮ Take The A38