River Fal

Coordinates: 50°15′N 4°57′W / 50.250°N 4.950°W / 50.250; -4.950
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the River Fal in Cornwall, England. Not to be confused with Vaal River.

River Fal
Flushing, from Fish Strand Quay, Falmouth, with rainbow
Map
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationGoss Moor
Mouth 
 • location
Carrick Roads
Length29 km (18 mi)
The River Fal at Devoran

The River Fal (

Roseland peninsula from the rest of Cornwall. Like most of its kind on the south coast of Cornwall and Devon, the Fal estuary is a classic ria, or drowned river valley. The Fal estuary from Tregony to the Truro River was originally called Hafaraell (Cornish
: Havarel, meaning fallow place).

Toponymy

The origin and meaning of the name of the river are unknown. The earliest occurrences of the name are in documents from AD 969 and 1049. Falmouth is named after the River Fal.[1] The word Fal in Cornish may refer to a prince, or perhaps to a spade or shovel. Robert Williams notes these meanings in his 1865 Cornish dictionary.[2] However, he notes FÂL as the word PÂL after undergoing aspirate mutation; and a word FAL meaning prince, but apparently a ghost word. He does not link either of these to the name of the river Fal.

History

The river mouth and Falmouth harbour served as an anchorage in the immediate years after the

Second World War for scores of laid-up Royal Navy vessels (including battleships, carriers, and cruisers) awaiting sale for scrap. Its size and depth of water made it ideal for this use. [citation needed
]

The River Fal suffered a severe, high-profile pollution accident in February 1992, when a nearby

tin mine was flooded. The river turned red and an extensive cleaning-up operation was needed to decontaminate the water.[3] During times of reduced global trade, ships are mothballed in the upper parts of the estuary of the River Fal.[4] The ships, using the Fal estuary due to its depth and protection from the elements,[4] keep a skeleton crew for ship maintenance.[5] A large number of ships were moored in the estuary during the Great Recession, as falling global trade meant a smaller demand for cargo ships. Falmouth Harbour authority charges companies for usage of the river, until the ships are either reactivated, scrapped or sold.[5]

Geography and hydrology

The source can be traced to Pentevale, (more correctly Pentivale [6] ) (Cornish: Penfenten Fala, meaning head spring of the Fal). The catchment of the Fal is predominantly Devonian slates, shales and grits, with granite in the upper reaches. Land use is mainly agricultural with some woodland.[7]

Tributaries of the River Fal include the

natural harbour. Here, pedestrian ferries connect Falmouth with St Mawes.[8]

Wildlife and conservation

Five

carr on the floodplain which has a rich ground flora. The species list includes many ancient woodland indicators including lichens such as Parmelia endochlora.[10]

The Upper Fal Estuary and Woods SSSI is mostly within the tidal area of the river between

Important Plant Area and a SSSI (Lower Fal & Helford Intertidal) for the relatively undisturbed transitions from tidal mud through saltmarsh and scrub to woodland.[12][13][14]

Three institutional landowners that own land within Upper Fal Estuary and Woods SSSI include the Duchy of Cornwall, the National Trust (for example, the Trelissick estate) and the Diocese of Truro (via its Diocesan Board of Finance).[15][16]

Water quality

The Fal has been described as the most polluted river in England. in 2021, raw sewage was discharged straight into the river for over 7,500 hours as a consequence of the 100-year old sewage system being overwhelmed by heavy rain.[17]

Recreation

The River Fal is accessible for kayaking, sailing and other watersports.[18][19]

Towns and villages on the Fal

References

  1. ^ Ekwall, E. (1940) The Concise Dictionary of English Place-names; 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press; p. 165
  2. ^ Robert Williams, ed., Lexicon cornu-britannicum: a dictionary of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall (London, 1865).
  3. ^ [1][permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ a b Bushill, Alex (8 May 2009). "Ships shelter from economic storm". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Increase in lay-ups as slump continues". Falmouth Packet. Newsquest. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Streetmap.co.uk - Map of 198965,58825". Archived from the original on 20 June 2015.
  7. ^ "Fal at Tregony". Natural Environment Research Council. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  8. ^ "St Mawes Ferry". Fal River Cornwall. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Goss Moor NNR". Natural England. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  10. ^ "Crowhill Valley SSSI" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  11. ^ "Upper Fal Estuary and Woods" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  12. ^ "Fal and Helford". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  13. ^ "Fal and Helford". Plantlife. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  14. ^ "Lower Fal & Helford Intertidal" (PDF). Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  15. ^ "Mapping the habitats of England's ten largest institutional landowners". Who owns England?. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Cornwall's church land: commercial enterprise or public benefit?". Beating the bounds. 14 August 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  17. ^ Lawton, Graham (25 February 2023). "How healthy is your river?". New Scientist. 257 (3427): 20.
  18. ^ "Guide to the River Fal". The UK rivers guidebook. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  19. ^ "Watersports in Falmouth, the Roseland and on the Fal River". www.falriver.co.uk. Retrieved 27 November 2017.

50°15′N 4°57′W / 50.250°N 4.950°W / 50.250; -4.950

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