Tour up the River Fal

River Fal and Western Cruises Green Boats include the former admiralty boat Temptress and its skipper Ivor Johns. This report is introduced by John Doyle referring to Ratty in Wind in the Willows because author Kenneth Grahame used his experience of the River Fal to write the popular children’s novel published in 1908. The tour goes to Mylor, Restronguet and also to Tolverne Cottage, used by US troops and visited by General Eisenhower prior to the D-Day landings of 1944.

Mylor Dockyard was home to the packet boats and site of HMS Ganges, a Royal Navy training frigate but ill-treatment of recruits led to the ship being moved to Harwich and then Shotley where it stayed until 1976. A Mylor memorial commemorates the 60 men and boys who died training on HMS Ganges between 1866 and 1899. HMS Victory was repaired at the dockyard and French resistance made use of the harbour during the Second World War to launch operations. Restronguet Creek is home to the Pandora Inn, a pub popular with the sailing community and Trelissick House, a Georgian Villa overlooking Carrick Roads run by the National Trust and the residence of the Copeland family known for Spode and Copeland and Garrett pottery.