The town of Falmouth is located, not surprisingly, at the mouth of the River Fal. And a beautiful river it is, with steep tree-lined banks rising to gently rolling green pastures.
The major boating center (or since we’re in England, we should probably write “centre”) of Cornwall, the entire lower portion of the River Fal is lined with marinas and moorings for the huge population of local yachts. It’s easy to understand why – the river is wide and deep enough (at least when it’s not low tide) for good sailing, yet well protected from the chop that can build in the English Channel just outside.
In the 14th century, King Henry VIII commissioned a pair of castles to protect the entrance to the river from enemy invaders, and the twin fortifications of Pendennis and St Mawes still stand. We half expected a roar of cannon fire as we sailed by.
Further upriver past the bustle (by boating standards) of Falmouth and the moorings of Mylor, the river turns pastoral with only a few houses indenting the woods along the shores. A chain ferry slowly trundles back and forth between the riverbanks, and life seems slow and easy here.
