Steamer Quay, Dart Estuary

BeachSouth Hams District Council🐾 Dog rule not verified

A narrow, roughly 150-metre-wide stretch of the tidal River Dart at Totnes, next to the rowing club and Steamer Quay car park — one of the River Dart's newly designated bathing waters, upstream of the harbour marks.

📍 View on the map

Beach & safety

Water quality: Poor (2025 season) — bathing not advised

Lifeguard: None

Hazards: Water quality has been rated poor with bathing not advised in the most recent (2025) season; river current and boat traffic near the rowing club and moorings are additional hazards.

Amenities: car-park

Dogs

No site-specific rule was verified for this quay. It is a river/estuary bathing site rather than a beach, and no council dog byelaw or PSPO specific to Steamer Quay was found. Environment Agency/Friends of the Dart guidance instead urges owners to keep dogs out of the water here to help protect bathing water quality, which is an environmental request rather than a legal access restriction.

No verified source. Check current signage and the relevant authority.

Family

Flat riverside quay with easy access, but this is tidal river swimming, not a sandy beach — current and boat traffic from the adjacent rowing club and moorings are relevant considerations for families.

Fishing

Fishing exists on the Dart, but no adequate exact source was found for authorised positions, species, tackle or licence requirements at the Steamer Quay bathing steps.

Crabbing

unknown

Access & parking

Steamer Quay car park, right beside the water. Sat-nav: TQ9 5AL. Get directions →

Researched 2026-07-24 — sources & disclaimer

https://www.totnes-today.co.uk/news/environment-agency-warns-swimmers-of-upper-river-dart-pollution-856358

https://www.dartharbour.org/water-quality/

https://environment.data.gov.uk/def/bathing-water-profile/BathingWaterProfile/instance.xhtml?_metadata=all&_page=0

Rules and conditions change, so always check current signage and tides before you go. We do our best to keep this accurate but can't promise it's error-free.