
Restronguet Creek is a
tidal ria in south
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlan ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. It is a tributary of
Carrick Roads
Carrick Roads ( kw, Dowr Carrek, meaning "rock anchorage") is the estuary of the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall in England. It joins the English Channel at its southern end near Falmouth.
Geography
It is a large flooded valley, or ...
, the estuary of the
River Fal
The River Fal ( kw, Dowr Fala) flows through Cornwall, England, rising at Pentevale on Goss Moor (between St. Columb and Roche) and reaching the English Channel at Falmouth. On or near the banks of the Fal are the castles of Pendennis and ...
, and is situated approximately four miles (6.5 km) south of
Truro
Truro (; kw, Truru) is a cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its population was 18,766 in the 2011 census. People of Truro c ...
and three miles (5 km) north of
Falmouth.
[Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 204 ''Truro & Falmouth'' ]
The creek is approximately two miles (3 km) long from its
Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) to its mouth and half-a-mile (800 metres) across at its widest point. It discharges into Carrick Roads at
Restronguet Point through a narrow channel
known locally as 'the gut'.
Restronguet Creek Society website. Retrieved May 2010
Restronguet Creek forms the boundary between the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
es of
Feock (on the north bank),
Mylor (at the eastern end of the south bank), and
Perranarworthal
Perranarworthal ( kw, Peran ar Wodhel) is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is about four miles (6.5 km) northwest of Falmouth and five miles (8 km) southwest of Truro. Perranarwortha ...
(at the western end of the south bank).
At its upstream end, Restronguet Creek is fed by two freshwater rivers: the
Carnon River from the northwest and the
River Kennall from the southwest. The NTL on the Carnon River is immediately upstream of
Devoran
Devoran ( kw, Deveryon) is a village in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is southwest of Truro at .Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 204 ''Truro & Falmouth'' Formerly an ecclesiastical parish, Devoran is now in the civil par ...
where the
A39 trunk road crosses the river; the NTL on the River Kennall is at
Perran Wharf. A smaller stream from the north discharges into the tidal creek at
Penpol.
Industrial past
Until the beginning of the 20th century, Restronguet Creek (and its tributary rivers) played an important role in the
tin and
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish ...
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...
industry. Devoran was a small port engaged in the export of mined minerals and the import of mining materials and coal.
The
Redruth and Chasewater Railway
The Redruth and Chasewater Railway, (otherwise called the ''Redruth and Chacewater Railway'' using modern spelling), was an early mineral railway line in Cornwall, England, UK. It opened in 1825 and was built to convey the output from copper mine ...
, an early industrial line which served the many mines a few miles to the north, terminated at Devoran (although there was an extension to Point Quay on Restronguet Creek; trains were hauled by horses rather than locomotives on the extension). There were also wharves and quays at the head of
Penpol Creek.
At
low water, large expanses of
intertidal
The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species ...
mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal f ...
s are exposed (which can be dangerous because the mud is deep and very soft
) and recent academic study suggests the mud still bears evidence of mineral contamination by former mining activity further upstream.
Leisure
Today, Restronguet Creek, Carrick Roads and Cornwall's
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or (Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kan ...
coast are popular for
yachting
Yachting is the use of recreational boats and ships called '' yachts'' for racing or cruising. Yachts are distinguished from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose. "Yacht" derives from the Dutch word '' jacht'' ("hunt"). With sailboat ...
and
dinghy racing
Dinghy racing is a competitive sport using dinghies, which are small boats which may be rowboats, have an outboard motor, or be sailing dinghies. Dinghy racing has affected aspects of the modern sailing dinghy, including hull design, sail mater ...
. Restronguet Sailing Club takes its name from the creek although it is located a mile south at
Mylor Harbour.
[ Restronguet Sailing Club website; retrieved May 2010]
'The Restronguet Creek Society' is a voluntary organisation formed in 1972 to protect and preserve the creek and its environs. The organisation opposes unsuitable development and, in particular, any construction or activity that would cause further silting.
Locations
* Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) at
Devoran
Devoran ( kw, Deveryon) is a village in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is southwest of Truro at .Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 204 ''Truro & Falmouth'' Formerly an ecclesiastical parish, Devoran is now in the civil par ...
coordinates
* Penpol Creek (north bank) coordinates
*
Restrongruet Passage (south bank) coordinates
* Mouth (
Restronguet Point) coordinates
References
{{authority control
Rivers of Cornwall