Its not often that the conditions on the Fowey river are perfect for canoeing. But this Solstice eve the tide and the weather were ideal. The river opened to me and I became one with the water, the wind, the fish, the birds and the trees. Even heaven couldn't be better than this. Join Simon Mitchell in his canoe trip on the River Fowey, from Penpoll Creek to Lostwithiel, a river journey of about 4 miles.

Down the Fowey River from Lostwithiel The canoe has two names. Going downriver it is called Spurtle and coming back upriver it is called Criggle. I packed Spurtle with far too much stuff - clothes for all weathers, plenty of water, more food than I could possibly eat and some wine and cider, tent and sleeping bag. I was about 45 minutes early for the tide which comes and goes pretty quickly as Lostwithiel is about 5 miles inland. The river used to be a lot deeper but centuries of tin streaming have created a lot of silt. Finally the moment to depart arrived and I set off downriver for a night under the stars. There was a cloudless sky and a slight breeze that helped me stay cool on a very warm day. I reached my destination at Penpoll Creek in about 3 hours without taking any photos as I just wanted to enjoy being on the river.
Camp by the Fowey River near St.Veep I set up the tent in a shady place, facing away from the morning sun. Although it got a little damp with dew overnight it remained cool for all of the next morning, giving me somewhere to escape from a very intense sun. I am staying in a place that used to be barley fields overlooking Penpoll Creek. Thanks to a private inheritance they have been transformed back to wild woodland that is a haven for nature. Just by here is ' Plants for a Future ' - an organisation promoting the responsible use of plants in everyday life.
Fowey River tide coming in at Penpoll Creek Most of the tidal reaches of the river Fowey are composed of very thick and treacly mud, making launching a boat a delicate operation. I waited for the tide to reach me rather than venture out on the mud, which is treacherous at best. Finally it got to a level where I could launch Criggle and I slid out onto the water on a perfect summer solstice afternoon. Because this area is protected and unpolluted, many birds, such as egrets, heron, kingfisher, oystercatchers and cormorant live here. Many swans inhabit this part of the Fowey River and Penpoll is an exquisite backwater creek that terminates at Middle Penpoll.
Fowey River high tide at Penpoll The valley containing Penpoll Creek is steep and lined with trees on every side. It has a real feel of 'Amazon jungle' about it and is one of the last great wildernesses in a place that is getting more and more popular. As is it quite shallow here the water warms quickly and literally thousands of mullet swim in from the sea to bask in the warm waters. Sometimes as the canoe glides through the water, the river writhes with fish in front of the boat.
St. Cadix on the Fowey River There aren't many signs of human habitation here, but St. Cadix is a notable exception. It is an old Benedictine priory from the 12th century or earlier and is set back from the main creek by a separate spur of water called St. Cyric's. After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536 it was rented to an adventurer called Bernhard (or Burcot) Cranach who came to Cornwall from Germany and set up silver smelting locally. Some say he was also an alchemist. He borrowed £500 from Mary Tudor and £300 from Elizabeth the First (after 'curing her of smallpox') and got other loans to secure this isolated spot, nestling in it own creek on the Fowey. The present building dates from around 1710 and is presently owned by the Trevelyan family.
Fowey River Du' Maurier country The Creek widens out and the water is so still. As I paddle the boat I can see into the water where many crabs are emerging from their tidal holes and scuttling around. A turn in the river and I can see signs of human habitation once again. I start to get into a rhythm with the paddle but it hits the bottom sometimes as I lose the main channel for a while. During both World Wars the creeks and pills of the Fowey were used to shelter small craft belonging to the allied forces, and some of those that were captured. But way before then these places were used to hide pirates and smugglers for which Cornwall is so famous. This is definate Du Maurier country and her house is just downriver a little way in Bodinnick.
Golant on the Fowey River The tiny town of Golant comes into view as I join the main river. There are about 200 people living in Golant. Nearly all of the houses are built on the hill (which are hard to avoid around here !) Golant is a peaceful village dedicated to life on the river - whether that be boating or fishing. Some of the famous Troy boats are built here. Golant has historical connections that make it unique. The story of Tristan and Iseult has many variations, one of which is: Tristan was a nephew of King Mark of Cornwall who was based at Castledore, and Iseult was an Irish princess betrothed to King Mark. Because of the hazards of travel in the 6th century Tristan was sent by his uncle to fetch Iseult. On the journey back from Ireland to Castledore she and Tristan fell in love and, inevitably, the human triangle was upset by the discovery of the lovers in compromising circumstances. Tristan fled to France where he was received with respect and he married the daughter of a local chief, another Iseult, but could not forget his first love.
Tristran and Iseult at St. Sampson's on the Fowey River Wounded while hunting he became seriously ill, and sent a ship to Cornwall with a message for Iseult to come to France to nurse him back to health. He instructed his sailors to hoist black sails if their journey had been in vain, and white if she was aboard. His wife, discovering the plan, reported to Tristan that the sails were black whereas in fact they were white. Tristan died and, when Iseult arrived she too died and was buried beside her lover. Out of the graves grew two saplings, the branches of which became intertwined and it is said that 'in death they were united although parted in life '. Later this story became linked with the Grail story. The church of St. Sampson has a commanding position on the hill. The link with this story and the church is that King Mark and Iseult made their devotions in state here, and that Iseult gave her best dress to the church. St Sampson's life is one of the earliest recorded. He studied near Howth in Co. Dublin and later travelled to Wales and then to Cornwall where he established himself where the church now stands, having erected a shelter near the Holy Well which is by the South Door. He is reputed to have slain a Dragon here.
Clay line on the Fowey River When he left Golant he went on to Brittany where he became Archbishop of Dol. The church here is of traditional Celtic design and some parts may date from 1200 AD. The present building was consecrated in 1509 and a restoration took place in 1842. There are five bells in the tower and there is interesting stained glass and much wood carving in the church. Looking behind me I can just make out Fowey Docks about a mile away downstream. The area near St. Austell produces a lot of china clay and ships come here from all over the world to pick it up - making Fowey one of the busiest ports in the world in terms of tonnage of goods. The docks are often working at night and with a full tide the noise carries over the water for many miles. Clay trains move down the river between Lostwithiel and Fowey as the railway follows the river. The squeels of the clay trucks and the 'parp' of the locomotive horn echo across the valley. Some say the Rev. Awdrey who wrote the Thomas the Tank Engine series drew inspiration from this line.
Lostwithiel and Lerryn arms of the Fowey River Ahead of me the river divides. The arm on the left goes up to Lostwithiel and the one on the right goes to the picturesque village of Lerryn . The river is deep here and there are many boats. Even in the slight breeze the air is full of the sound of rigging slapping against masts and the cry of a gulls.
Civil war on the Fowey River I decide to employ my secret weapon just here as there is just the tiniest amount of wind coming upriver. It hardly billows out at all but it does take the canoe in the right direction while I busy myself with taking some photographs of Golant and some of the boats moored here. But somewhere across the water is the sound of men at arms, the rustle of the sail becomes the distant crack of musket. During the Civil War, in August 1644, Lostwithiel was occupied for 2 weeks by the Parliamentarian force of about 10,000, who did much damage to the town and destroyed many of its records. When the Parliamentarian forces were routed many of them fled down the river. A huge running battle was fought along the banks of this river as the King's forces hemmed in Essex's army. Essex occupied Castle-dore, the remains of which are in a field nearby, on his retreat along the river. Essex escaped by ship from Fowey - abandoning 6,000 men who suffered much cruelty on their return upcountry, many of them being slaughtered in retribution. I start to wonder if I am in canoe or a time machine. Somehow the river transcends time. All these times, all these places exist as one, caught up in the neverending flow.
Great woods on the Fowey River Soon, the Great Woods loom up ahead of me. This point where the rivers converge is one of my favourite places and the setting for Kenneth Graham's 'Tales from the Riverbank'. The woods here are too steep to be farmed and some of them are unchanged since medieval times. For information on a walk through these woods, please visit the article ' My Secret Places '.
Garibaldi's boathouse on the River Fowey On my left I pass Garibaldi's boathouse. This isolated boathouse is difficult to get to except by water. It is right next to the Clay railway and once Royal trains stopped overnight here, using the clay line as a siding. There are many tales of 'goings on' here but I can't pin anything down beyond ancient gossip! I can see St. Winnow Church far in the distance. This is the only time I have ever crossed St. Winnow Pool with the wind and the tide in my favour. It is usually a gruelling two hour fight against the outflow of tidal water and into the wind. Its strange how the weather on the river often seems to change with the tide.
St. Winnow on the Fowey River In record breaking time the Church of St. Winnow glides by. St Winnow Pool is a fantastic place where the tide comes and goes very quickly because it is wide and level. This is one of the most treacherous places to get stuck in a boat as the mud here is extra sticky. The wide expanse of water effects the quality of light around St. Winnow Pool. Whether the tide is in or out the river bounces light around in everchanging shows of texture.
St Winnow Pool starts to close in and at low tide here an island appears in the middle of the river, frequented by all sorts of birds. When there is a high tide you can take a river trip from Fowey up to Lostwithiel and back. Several of these ferry boats caught up with me here and I enjoy the rocking sensation of Criggle being caught up in their wake. Its so peaceful here I once fell asleep in the boat.
Madderly Moor on the River Fowey The banks close in further as the river reaches it meandering stage through saltwater flats with their own unique ecology, locally known as Madderly Moor. The local town forum is busy raising funds to protect this valuable asset for everyone. The banks here are strewn with 'Queen Anne's Lace', ( Cow Parsley ). Also Meadowsweet grows here in abundance along with Yellow Flag Iris and Lady's Smock . This area is a favourite place with fishermen as both Trout and Salmon are caught here at high tide.
Lostwithiel on the River Fowey Pretty soon I can see Lostwithiel, described by the 'Black Prince', past owner of Restormel Castle, as his 'Lily of the Valley'. The river has beautiful curves and as I round each bend the boat takes its own direction in response to the flow of water. Early in the morning intense white river mists lurk in the valley here until the sun rises high enough to dissipate them.
Finally, back in Lostwithiel. That was fantastic, part of me wants to turn right round and do it again but it wouldn't make much difference because now the river is inside me.