Carrick Roads

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Carrick Roads, seen from Roseland

Carrick Roads is a capacious roadstead formed of the estuary of the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall. It is a deep, broad yet sheltered natural harbour opening into the English Channel at its southern end near Falmouth.

The roadstead is a large flooded valley known as a 'ria', created after the Ice Age as the sea level rose dramatically: other examples along this coast are the Hamoaze, the Teign Estuary, Exe Estuary, Poole Harbour and Southampton Water. The result is a large natural harbour which is navigable from Falmouth to Truro.

The Falmouth Harbour Commissioners[1] are the statutory port authority with responsibility for the Inner Harbour at Falmouth (excluding Falmouth Docks), the Penryn River up as far as Boyers Cellars, the southern part of the Carrick Roads and a large part of Falmouth Bay.

The Roads are crossed by the historic and scenic King Harry Ferry, a vehicular chain ferry that links the parishes of Feock and Philleigh.

In the Cornish language this water was known as Dowr Carrek, meaning "rock water" (or “anchorage”)[2] It is named after Black Rock (Cornish: Karrek Reun, meaning seal rock) which lies between Pendennis Point, St Mawes, and Carricknath Point.

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Outside links

References

  1. "Falmouth Harbour Commissioners Home". Falmouthport.co.uk. http://www.falmouthport.co.uk/index.php. Retrieved 2012-02-04. 
  2. Weatherhill, Craig (2009). A Concise Dictionary of Cornish Place-Names. Westport, Co. Mayo: Evertype. ISBN 9781904808220; p. 9