River Fowey

River Fowey
River Fowey at Golant
The course of the River Fowey and neighbouring rivers in Cornwall
Basin
Main source	Bodmin Moor 298 m (978 ft)
River mouth	Fowey estuary

The River Fowey (ⁱ/ˈfɔɪ/ FOY; Cornish: Fowi)^[1] is a river in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.

It rises at Fowey Well (originally Cornish: Fenten Fowi, meaning spring of the river Fowey) about 1-mile (1.6 km) north-west of Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, not far from one of its tributaries rising at Dozmary Pool and Colliford Lake, passes Lanhydrock House, Restormel Castle and Lostwithiel, then broadens at Milltown before joining the English Channel at Fowey. The estuary is called Uzell (Cornish: Usel, meaning howling place). It is only navigable by larger craft for the last 7 miles (11 km). There is a ferry between Fowey and Bodinnick. The first road crossing going upstream is in Lostwithiel. The river has seven tributaries, the largest being the River Lerryn. The section of the Fowey Valley between Doublebois and Bodmin Parkway railway station is known as the Glynn Valley (Cornish: Glyn, meaning deep wooded valley). The valley is the route of both the A38 trunk road and the railway line (built by the Cornwall Railway in 1859). The railway line is carried on eight stone viaducts along this stretch (see Cornwall Railway viaducts).

Geology and hydrology

The upper reaches of the Fowey are mainly moorland giving way to woodland and farmland, predominantly livestock. This means that 63.6% of the catchment is grassland, with a further 18.3% woodland and 10.7% arable land. Of the remaining 7.5%, 2.6% is urban or built-up areas, 2.5% is mountain, heath and bog and the remainder is inland waters.^[2]

The catchment area of the River Fowey covers a total of 41,800 acres (65.3 sq. miles)^[3] consisting of kaolinised granite on Bodmin Moor, Devonian slates and grits, and valley gravels.^[3] Data collected by the National Water Archive shows that average flow at the Restormel monitoring station is 4.78 cubic m/s and is affected by the reservoirs at Colliford and Sibleyback and by abstraction of water for public supply.^[3]

The former quarry of the Glynn Valley China Clay Works has closed down and is now flooded. It was in operation from the 1940s but since 2015 the site has been used for camping.^[4]

Wildlife and conservation

Golitha Falls

Entrance to Golitha Woods

River Fowey at Trago Mills

12th-century bridge at Lostwithiel, crossing the river Fowey

The river runs through two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), one of which is also part of a National Nature Reserve (NNR). The Upper Fowey SSSI is a floodplain on the southern slopes of Bodmin Moor and is designated for its wet heath vegetation and herbaceous valley-floor mire communities.^[5] Lower down the river at Golitha Falls part of the woodland is designated a NNR and is within the Draynes Wood SSSI. At this point the river runs through a gorge and is of particular importance for ″lower plants″ such as liverworts, mosses and lichens.^[6]^[7] Golitha (pronounced Goleetha) is derived from the Cornish word for obstruction. There is a 1-3-mile (4.8 km) riverside walk, from the visitor car park.^[8] Golitha Falls is the site of Wheal Victoria copper mine^[9]

Recreation

The Fowey valley is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty so many hikers, holidaymakers and tourists visit the places of interest and eat freshly caught fish. The river has very pleasant sites and special paths made for hiking and walking along the banks and in the countryside surrounding the towns.

The River Fowey is famous for its sailing because of its natural harbour. In the past it has been visited by up to 7,000 yachts in one season. Almost all sections of the river have been paddled by kayakers and canoeists: the whitewater sections high up on the moor, all the way down to the estuary. Fowey has an excellent local chandlery.

Many fish can be caught in the River Fowey so many fishermen come to enjoy the excellent fishing conditions.

Transport on the river

Ferry services

Fowey to Polruan Passenger and Cycle Ferry. The summer service runs 1 May – 30 September from Whitehouse Slip until 1815 hrs. From 1830 hrs the service operates from Town Quay until 2300 hrs. Continuous service from 0715 hrs Monday – Saturday and 0900 hrs on Sunday. Please check notice board for further information during August. Winter service runs 1 October – 30 April leaving Town Quay. Monday – Saturday 0715 hrs until 1900 hrs continuous service. Sundays 1000 hrs until 1700 hrs continuous service. Ferry services are subject to weather conditions.

Fowey to Bodinnick Vehicle Ferry. The summer service operates 1 April – 31 October, starting at 0700 hrs Monday – Saturday and 0800 hrs on Sunday and running until 1900 hrs. The winter service operates 1 November – 31 March, and runs until 2045 hrs or dusk (whichever comes first). The service starts 0700 hrs Monday – Friday, 0800 hrs on Saturday and 0900 hrs on Sunday. N.B. Ferry services are subject to weather conditions.

Fowey to Mevagissey Passenger Ferry is a timetabled summer service between Fowey and Mevagissey leaving Whitehouse Slip. Journey time is around 40 minutes, please see leaflet or notice board for sailings. An alternative route to The Lost Gardens of Heligan, finishing the journey by foot or taxi. This service is dependent on weather

References

↑ Place-names in the Standard Written Form (SWF) : List of place-names agreed by the MAGA Signage Panel. Cornish Language Partnership.
↑ "Fowey at Restormel: Land use". Natural Environment Research Council. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
1 2 3 "48011 – Fowey at Restormel". Natural Environment Research Council. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
↑ Evans, Dixe (2016-07-02) "Ship me to the Cornish moors"; The Guardian, p. 5
↑ "Upper Fowey SSSI" (PDF). Natural England. 1989. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
↑ "Golitha Falls NNR". Natural England. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
↑ "Draynes Wood SSSI" (PDF). Natural England. 1985. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
↑ "Golitha Falls". Cornwall Council. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
↑ "Wheal Victoria Copper Mine - PhotoFile Cornwall". Retrieved 27 January 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to River Fowey.

Golitha Falls

Coordinates: 50°21′N 4°38′W / 50.350°N 4.633°W / 50.350; -4.633

Ceremonial county of Cornwall

Cornwall Portal

Unitary authorities	Cornwall Council Council of the Isles of Scilly

Major settlements	Bodmin Bude Callington Camborne Camelford Falmouth Fowey Hayle Helston Launceston Liskeard Looe Lostwithiel Marazion Newlyn Newquay Padstow Par Penryn Penzance Porthleven Redruth Saltash St Austell St Blazey St Columb Major St Ives St Just in Penwith St Mawes Stratton Torpoint Truro Wadebridge See also: List of civil parishes in Cornwall

Rivers	Allen Camel Cober De Lank Fal Fowey Gannel Gover Hayle Helford Inny Kensey Looe Lynher Menalhyl Ottery Par Pont Pill Port Navas Red Seaton St Austell Tamar Tiddy Truro Valency

Topics	History Status debate Flag Culture Economy Places Population of major settlements Demography Notable people The Duchy Diocese Politics Schools Hundreds/shires Places of interest full list...

Penwith North Cornwall

Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

Summary	Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)

Cornwall	Aire Point to Carrick Du Amble Marshes Baulk Head to Mullion Bedruthan Steps and Park Head Boconnoc Park and Woods Bodmin Moor, North Borlasevath and Retallack Moor Boscastle to Widemouth Brendonmoor Breney Common Bude Coast Cabilla Manor Wood Caerthillian to Kennack Carnkief Pond Carrick Heaths Carricknath Point to Porthbean Beach Carrine Common & Penwethers Chyenhal Moor Cligga Head Coombe Mill Coverack to Porthoustock Crow's Nest Crowhill Valley Dozmary Pool Draynes Wood East Lizard Heathlands Eglarooze Cliff Gerrans Bay to Camels Cove Godrevy Head to St Agnes Goonhilly Downs Goss and Tregoss Moors Greenamoor Greenscoombe Wood, Luckett Grimscott Gwithian to Mexico Towans Hayle Estuary & Carrack Gladden Kelsey Head Kennack to Coverack Kernick and Ottery Meadows Loe Pool Loggans Moor Lower Bostraze and Leswidden Lower Fal & Helford Intertidal Lymsworthy Meadows Lynher Estuary Malpas Estuary Marazion Marsh Meddon Moor Meneage Coastal Section Merthen Wood Minster Church Mullion Cliff to Predannack Cliff Nance Wood Newlyn Downs Ottery Valley Park Wood Penhale Dunes Pentire Peninsula Phoenix United Mine Plymouth Sound Shores And Cliffs Polruan to Polperro Polyne Quarry Porthgwarra to Pordenack Point Rame Head & Whitsand Bay Red Moor Redlake Meadows & Hoggs Moor Retire Common River Camel Valley and Tributaries Rock Dunes Rosemullion Rosenannon Bog and Downs St Austell Clay Pits St John's Lake St Nectan's Glen Steeple Point to Marsland Mouth Swanpool Sylvia's Meadow Talland Barton Tamar–Tavy Estuary Tintagel Cliffs Treen Cliff Tregonetha & Belowda Downs Tregonning Hill Trehane Barton Trelow Downs Trevose Head and Constantine Bay Upper Fal Estuary and Woods Upper Fowey Valley Ventongimps Moor West Cornwall Bryophytes West Lizard

Isles of Scilly	Annet Big Pool and Browarth Point Castle Down (Tresco) Chapel Down Eastern Isles Great Pool Gugh Higher Moors and Porth Hellick Pool Lower Moors Norrard Rocks Peninnis Head Pentle Bay, Merrick And Round Islands Plains and Great Bay Pool Of Bryher & Popplestone Bank Rushy Bay and Heathy Hill Samson Shipman Head & Shipman Down St Helen's St Martin's Sedimentary Shore Teän Western Rocks White Island Wingletang Down

Neighbouring areas Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Devon Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 7/18/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.