| Country: | England |
| Map Type: | Cornwall |
| Coordinates: | 50.376°N -4.205°W |
| Label Position: | left |
| Official Name: | Torpoint |
| Cornish Name: | Penntorr |
| Population: | 8,364 |
| Population Ref: | (2011) |
| 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 (kw|Penntorr[1]) is a town and civil parish on the Rame Peninsula in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated opposite the city of Plymouth across the Hamoaze which is the tidal estuary of the River Tamar.[2] Torpoint had a population of 8,457 at the 2001 census, decreasing to 8,364 at the 2011 census.[3] Two electoral wards also exist (Torpoint East and Torpoint West). Their combined populations at the same census were 7,717.[4]
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.
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".[5]
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.[6]
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.[7]
Torpoint has 4 parish churches known at "Maryfield Church", "Torpoint Cornerstone Church", "Catholic Church of Saint Joan of Arc" and "St James Church"
See
Educational institutions in Torpoint include:[8]
Torpoint has a non-league football club, Torpoint Athletic F.C., which plays at The Mill.
Cornish wrestling tournaments, for prizes, were held in Torpoint in the 1700s.[9]
Torpoint is twinned with Benodet (Benoded) in Brittany, France.[10]
1894 The Torpoint Town Council was established with Joseph Shepheard as its chairman.[11]
Ron Widdecombe was the first Mayor of Torpoint.[12]
The Town Council has Gary Davis as the town mayor and Julie Martin as the deputy mayor.[13]
The Town Council is made up of 15 East Ward councillors and 1 West Ward councillor.[14]
Freedom of Torpoint march
St Piran's day[15]
Armed Forces Day[16]
Commonwealth Day[17]
Day of Accession Council and Principal Proclamation[18]
Merchant Navy Day[19]
St George's Day[20]
Christmas Lights Switch On[21]
Civic Service[22]