Rivers of Britain

Estuaries, Tideways, Havens, Lochs, Firths and Kyles

Stuart Fisher

• Publisher: Adlard Coles
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781408146569
• eBook ISBN: 9781408159316
• Edition: 1
• Subtopic: World History

Britain's rivers deserve to be better known. Teeming with
wildlife, steeped in history, sporting bridges, docks and stunning
architecture, not to mention supporting riverside pubs, waterways museums and a
variety of places of interest, they are the country's essential arteries,
connecting inland Britain with the sea. Covering Britain's best known tidal rivers (the Avon,
Severn, Dee, Mersey, Tyne and Thames), to the picturesque rural Camel, Wye,
Orwell and Crouch, as well as the industrial rivers of the Medway, Tyne and
Clyde, right down to the smallest and lesser known of Britain's tidal
waterways, this is a fascinating and comprehensive guide, packed with maps,
colour photographs and interesting facts about the lifeblood of our country. Of interest to sailors, fishermen, motorised craft and
canoeists keen to discover beautiful unfrequented spots, stopping points,
places of interest, riverside pubs and lookout points, as well as practical
information on rapids, weirs and nearby towns and car parks, it will also
interest walkers, cyclists, families and holidaymakers discovering the local
history, folklore, riverside architecture and places to take river trips.

1 River Camel

Where St Petroc and Rick Stein landed

The tide is high and a sleepy Atlantic sends

Exploring ripple on ripple down the Polzeath shore,

And the gathering dark is full of the thought of friends

I shall see no more.

John Betjeman

The River Camel rises on Hendraburnick Down, just 5km from Cornwall’s north coast. It flows south to Bodmin, following the western edge of Bodmin Moor, before turning northwest and returning to the north coast.

The tidal limit is at Polbrock. The river quickly runs out of momentum and has become placid by the confluence with the River Allen which rises near to the Camel at Camelford and runs parallel all the way. The Camel’s banks are lined with sand in which bands of peat can be seen and boats begin to appear on them. There swans and lapwings congregate in flocks.

The tidal limit at Polbrock.

Wadebridge is the first place where more than a handful of houses are seen together and is based around the 17 arch bridge, of which 13 arches remain visible. The downstream half was built in the 15th century, making use of an island in the river. Before that it was a dangerous ford and there were chapels at each end where travellers could pray before attempting the crossing. Even now there are quite fast rapids beneath the bridge at some stages of the tide although these don’t seem to worry the ornamental ducks on the island.

There is a chip shop on the right bank although most of the town is on the left beyond a children’s playground. Amongst other facilities are a supermarket and the Bridge on Wool public house. Waterside industry includes boatyards, a builders’ yard and a coachworks. Slipways come down to the water by the old quay but the port went into decline with the silting up of the river and the coming of the railway in 1899.

In turn, the railway is no more, having now become the Wadebridge Padstow Path which follows the south bank of the estuary.

The A39 passes high over the estuary on a recent bridge.

The bridge at Wadebridge has a tidal rapid beneath.

The estuary below Cant Hill, drained at low water.

The Royal Cornwall Showground, as befits this agricultural centre, overlooks the estuary opposite the confluence with the River Amble at Trewornan, a treelined cleft which is spoilt only by a caravan site located in it.

A windmill dominates the hilltop above Trevelver but the main feature of the upper estuary is the rounded bulk of Cant Hill with Cant Cove and Gentle Jane cutting into its two flanks. The south bank is tame by comparison, its most obvious features being a great heap of rock slab debris and a three arched steel railway viaduct at the foot of Dennis Hill which bears an obelisk to Queen Victoria.

The widest part of the estuary is the pool although it can still have strong tides of over 6km/h. The Camel is the largest inlet in north Cornwall and it is alive with sailing, water skiing and other craft in the summer. Rock Sailing & Water Ski Club is based in an old grain warehouse which is prominent behind the moorings in Porthilly Cove. Strangely, Rock is predominantly sand, just about the only place in the estuary not dominated by rock.

In the summer passenger ferries cross to Padstow and have done so since at least the 14th century. They have become an important link in the South West Peninsula Coast Path which follows down both banks of the estuary.

The ferries’ route into Padstow is now dictated by the Town Bar and different landing points are used at high and low water. Padstow has an ancient quay and a fishing harbour used by coasters up to 1,300t but only when the tide permits. It was once the most thriving port in north Cornwall, handling fish, wine, slate, ores, timber and Cornish emigrants to America. It was one of the towns to which rioting tin miners headed during hard times. Now it has dinghies, shark angling and powerful sightseeing boats which thunder off down the estuary. Until 1952 it had the largest lifeboat in Britain. The current one is based in an award winning building of 2007. The North Quay has a sobering shipwreck chart. A lobster hatchery is located near the lifeboat station.

Associations with the sea have been long. St Petroc, son of a Welsh king, sailed from Wales with 60 followers to what became Petrocstow in the 6th century, struck water from a rock and founded a monastery, sacked by the Vikings in 981. Padstow has been the ecclesiastical capital of Cornwall. The present St Petroc’s church of 1425–50 (with part of the tower from much earlier) has a 15th century font carved from blue Catacleuse stone which outcrops near Trevose Head. It has carved scallop shells on the pulpit to record pilgrims to the shrine of St James in Santiago.

Sir Walter Raleigh presided in the courthouse on the South Quay while Warden of the Stannaries of Cornwall and much of the town remains unchanged with narrow streets. On May Day the ’Obby ’Oss takes to the streets in the oldest dance ceremony in the British Isles, based on pagan origins. Museum exhibits in the town include photographs and documents about the area, tools used in shipping, agriculture and the home, shipwrecks, maritime and lifeboat themes, a collection of minerals and items from the Southern Railway. Chef Rick Stein has nine different restaurants in the town. A tropical bird and butterfly garden has 200 species of tropical birds and a collection of exotic and unusual plants although palms grow quite freely in the area in the mild climate. There is a carnival week in July and the Camel Sailing Week takes place in August.

A First World War memorial faces a narrow part of the estuary. Opposite Gun Point with its bunkers is Brea Hill with some tumuli and the 14th century St Endoc’s church which was buried beneath sand dunes for hundreds of years and is where John Betjeman is buried.

The Doom Bar led to the decline of Padstow as a shipbuilding and trading port, inconveniencing over 300 vessels which fell foul of it. Fed by the easterly longshore drift which brings sand into the estuary, it changes shape after gales, storms or prolonged periods of northwesterly winds and can create conditions to challenge expert surfers. The sea breaks on the bar at low water and at other stages of the tide large breakers can roll up the Narrows to break in columns of spray at the south end of Harbour Cove if conditions are right.

The coastguard station at Hawker’s Cove was formerly the lifeboat station before it became too silted up. There is a 12m daymark on Stepper Point.

If the sea is rough, Daymer Bay is the last safe landing point, kitesurfers permitting. Deposits of glacial till outcrop at Trebetherick and the beach is backed by cliffs. Surfing is banned from the beach.

Ahead lies Pentire Point, composed of knobbly pillow lavas, and the prominent island of Newland. Exit is possible in Hayle Bay at Polzeath but the groundswell is almost always present, the bay faces west and if there is surf anywhere in north Cornwall it will be found here as it traps the waves. The surf is at its biggest around low tide and, although its break is not as fast as some, it can be big. Waves of 2–3m rolling in at the ends of the day are not unusual.

Near to hand are a ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 River Camel
• 2 River Torridge
• 3 River Taw
• 4 River Parrett
• 5 River Avon
• 6 River Severn
• 7 River Wye
• 8 River Loughor
• 9 Afon Tywi
• 10 Afon Taf
• 11 Milford Haven
• 12 River Dovey
• 13 Afon Mawddach
• 14 Afon Dwyryd
• 15 Afon Cefni
• 16 Afon Conwy
• 17 River Dee
• 18 River Mersey
• 19 River Lune
• 20 River Duddon
• 21 River Wampool
• 22 Lochar Water
• 23 River Clyde
• 24 Gare Loch
• 25 Loch Long
• 26 Loch Fyne
• 27 West Loch Tarbert
• 28 Loch Sween
• 29 Loch Etive
• 30 Loch Linnhe
• 31 Kyle of Sutherland
• 32 Cromarty Firth
• 33 Beauly Firth
• 34 Firth of Tay
• 35 River Earn
• 36 River Forth
• 37 River Tyne
• 38 River Hull
• 39 River Ouse (Humber)
• 40 River Trent
• 41 River Nene
• 42 New Bedford River
• 43 River Bure
• 44 River Yare
• 45 River Waveney
• 46 River Alde
• 47 River Deben
• 48 River Orwell
• 49 River Stour
• 50 River Colne
• 51 River Blackwater
• 52 River Crouch
• 53 River Roach
• 54 River Thames
• 55 River Medway
• 56 River Great Stour
• 57 River Ouse (East Sussex)
• 58 River Adur
• 59 River Arun
• 60 Chichester Channel
• 61 Portsmouth Harbour
• 62 Southampton Water
• 63 Poole Harbour
• 64 The Fleet
• 65 River Exe
• 66 River Dart
• 67 River Tamar
• 68 Lynher River
• 69 River Fowey
• 70 Carrick Roads
• eCopyright