The River Fal, Truro River & Falmouth.

The Fal is Cornwall's largest estuary and it's most beautiful river. It is surrounded by areas of outstanding natural beauty, historic estates and lush gardens. The numerous arms and creeks amount to around 85 miles of shore line and it allows navigation from the sea to the city of Truro 9 miles inland.

The estuary separates two equally beautiful Cornish peninsulas, the Roseland to the east and the Lizard to the west. From ancient days to modern it has offered shelter to ships and supported trade. It is one of the best natural harbours in the world and one of the most important marine habitats in Europe.

Although the entire length of the river from the city to the sea is commonly referred to as the Fal, it comprises several rivers coming together along its length. Starting with the Truro river flowing from this vibrant city, it is joined further downstream by the Tresillian river at the village of Malpas. Further downstream again the Truro river converges onto the River Fal which flows quietly from the east. These reaches of the river are winding and narrow, with steep and densely wooded banks abundant with wildlife.

Further south the River Fal continues its passage to the sea via wider waters known as the Carrick Roads, which are ringed by the beautiful villages of St Mawes, St Just, Mylor and Flushing. Where the river meets the sea is the busy maritime port of Falmouth, with Pendennis and St Mawes castles on either side of the estuary.

The Trelissick estate (owned by the National Trust) stands out as you travel northwards from the sea to the city. Its large sweeping lawn leads up from the shore to the beautiful historic house and gardens. The walks here are some of the best in the area.

Nearby is Tolcarne beach, popular with boaters and campers who are often seen having BBQ's here during the summer. Towards the end of World War 2, it was used to board US troops and vehicles onto D-Day invasion vessels. This part of the River was also used in the production of Disneys 1950's 'Treasure Island', pretending it to be a tropical paradise. More recently some scenes in the latest Poldark series were filmed here.

Here we also see the first signs of commercial fishing activity in the form of a Mussel farm. There are perfect conditions here for the growing of some of the best mussels and oysters in the South West. The oyster fishery is unique in that they can only be collected using oar and sail and the oyster punts and sailing boats (known as Falmouth working boats) are still seen doing this during each winter.

As we head upriver we come across the King Harry chain ferry, a service operating since 1889 and considered to be one of the most beautiful ferry crossings in the world. The ferry crosses the River at the location of an ancient pilgrims way to St Michael’s Mount. The current ferry has a glass side, allowing its passengers glorious views of the River. This is often the first glimpse of the river visitors to the area see, but the advertisements onboard for various river trips will hopefully encourage them to experience the river's full beauty, including perhaps onboard our own traditional sailing barge.

The river becomes much quieter from here and the water is a shimmering green. At high tide it trickles against the lowest branches of the trees, and as the tide recedes, rocky edges and beautiful serpent like branches are exposed. Further upriver in creeks, mud flats become uncovered on which a rich variety of birds feed, sometimes with rare visitors.

It is here that you might come across one or more large ships on commercial moorings, this will typically be in times of recession. It surprises many that the river is actually a commercial port, albeit a very beautiful one.

On the next bend of the river is the idyllic Smugglers cottage at Tolverne. The cottage was a command center for the boarding of US troops and vehicles which had gathered in the area for D-Day. General Eisenhower visited and stayed at the cottage just before the invasion. For many years the house was a popular tea room and housed WW2 memorabilia, but it is now a private residence.

Opposite Tolverne lies the pre-historic settlement of Roundwood, one of the earliest known in all of Europe. The more recent stone quay which can be seen here was once used to load cargos from various industries in the area bought to quay via horse and cart. These days it is a quiet and popular picnic spot. If the tide is high enough it is possible to navigate to the beautiful hamlet of Coombe lying in its own drying arm of the river.

A little further upriver, the Tregothnan estate now appears on the eastern shore. This private family residence has been occupied by generations of the same family since the 13th century. Tea is grown on the estate, and also honey is harvested from its bees which feed on its diverse flora, including Manuka.

Here the river divides. The River Fal continues east into Ruan creek where it eventually reaches its source many miles inland on Goss Moor. In ancient times sailing ships could navigate the Ruan as far as the village of Tregony, but over the centuries it has become silted and shallow.

Leading Northwards is the deeper Truro river which allows navigation all the way to the city. Here visiting yachts will be seen on pontoons or at anchor. There are over 83 miles of shoreline within the Fal estuary for them to explore.

The river has abundant wildlife. Depending on the time of year, you will come across a variety of birds and sealife. Herons, Cormorants & Shags, Terns, Egrets, Swans, Ducks and Buzzards are typically seen. Seals also forage in the waters, and sometimes can be seen basking on rocks or empty moorings. In the quieter parts of the river, Deer will be seen along the shores or swimming from one bank to another.

Before reaching Truro the river branches off again at Malpas towards the hamlet of Tresillian. The village of Malpas has some very desirable waterfront properties and the very popular Heron Inn, where diners have a very beautiful post card view of the river from its Terrace. It is also where we usually start and finish our sailing tours of the river.

The Fal estuary is a Ria, which is a drowned valley which filled with water at the end of the ice age. Many of the rivers and estuaries in the south west of England were formed this way. This explains the unusually deep water in the reaches and harbour. Falmouth is in fact the third deepest natural harbour in the world with depths reaching 34 meters.

Discover the River Fal for yourself onboard one of our sailing barge tours. We hope to see you soon!