NEWS

Fancy a day without the car? Forget the traffic and parking problems for once? Then how about a day out on the river with a ferry trip to one of the many destinations located along the river Fal?
Park & float/ride or drive to the Prince of Wales Pier where you can jump aboard a ferry which will take you on a delightful river trip to any number of popular attractions.

You can take the Trelissick Trail to visit one of Cornwall’s finest woodland gardens for a gentle stroll or a 3-mile circular walk through the 500-acre estate, skirting the Fal and its peaceful creeks. Here you can also visit Trelissick’s renowned art and craft gallery and sample its excellent restaurant before catching the ferry back to the Prince of Wales Pier.

The Oyster Way will appeal to those who are looking for a longer day out with a ferry trip up to Smugglers Cottage at Tolverne which was used by the American forces for the D-Day landings. From here you can enjoy a three-hour walk along the coastal footpath to St Mawes. The route takes you past the last remaining Oyster Fishery in Europe which is still worked by sail and oar with over 15 traditional working boats.

Alternatively the Smugglers Trail provides a gentle 30-minute walk with two short ferry journeys. As you round Trefusis Point look out for the cave and stone steps cut into the stone foreshore. Both were used to transfer contraband goods to the shore with the cave marking the entrance of an old tunnel that led up to the cellars of the estate house on the hill where the goods were stored.

For an exhilarating day out with four short ferry trips and a three and a half-mile walk along the coastal footpath the Roseland Ramble provides spectacular views of the entrance to one of the world’s largest natural harbours – Carrick Roads. Well worth a look is the 13th century Church of St Anthony, originally dedicated to Gerennius, a King of Cornwall together with St Anthony Lighthouse which was built in 1834 and marks the entrance to Carrick Roads and keeps shipping clear of the infamous Manacle Rocks.

Finally, for a day with a difference, take a ferry all the way up the Fal to Truro, spend a day exploring the city and its famous cathedral and return by train which will drop you at the National Maritime Museum near Customs House Quay where you can take a short ferry ride back to Ponsharden and your car.
A booklet detailing all Fal rivers trips and walks is always available from reception.