The Cornish Estuary
Cornwall is defined by its boundaries, being almost an island with the sea all around and the River Tamar separating it from the rest of Britain. This mighty river is largely estuarine itself and from the Cornish border following the coast either way down you will cross a number of other tidal rivers until you reach the most westerly estuary of all, nearest to the tip of Cornwall – the Hayle River. Like many Cornish place names this translates with simplicity to ‘estuary / saltings’ [heyl] – the name for the town and the river.
River Tamar, Lynher River, Looe River, River Fowey, Truro River, Tresillian River, River Fal, Helford, Hayle River, Gannel, River Camel; not a huge number but each with its own distinctive character and history. A few still have small fishing fleets, ferries and even industrial transport on them, but mostly there are now just pleasure craft. Many are silted up with only the remains of quays and wharfs to suggest their previous uses and industries; remaining as wild empty places; hidden creeks and secret valleys. Dunes, beaches, saltings, salt marsh, willow carr, even mature woodlands with their roots in the water at high tide; all are to be found on the banks of these Cornish estuaries.
Over the last three years I have walked / canoed / swam / drawn and painted these places; the salmon’s leap, the egret on her meander, the smell of mud in the sun, the oak tipping her toes in the flowing tide, the heron’s harsh screech or the oily pools of rainbow reflection being dragged out by the ebbing waters – resulting in this body of work – paintings, etchings, sculptures and ceramics that aim to capture and celebrate this aspect of Cornwall.
High tide, winter creek… |
Fowey salmon leaping. December 2003. |
Hayle estuary, low water. Gulls, crows… |
At low tide… |
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Fisherman tat, Hayle 2003. |
Helford blizzard, 2004. |
Sunshine and fast… |
Estuary mouth, rain coming in… |
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Hit by a hailstorm after a sunny morning… |
Wreck at high tide… |
Just before an evening pint… |
Fowey salmon leaping… |
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A big Fowey sea trout leaps… |
Red Sandbank, low tide… |
Mylor Creek, Carrick Roads… |
Bank of oak. February 2002. |
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A few boats, low tide. Malpas Creek… |
Estuary birds. 2004. |
Golden Golitha… |
Rush of the river, Fowey… |
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In the wild carrot… |
Low tide and sun, Helford River Creek… |
Sitting on a hedge, Camel estuary. July 2004. |
Room with a view… |
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Low tide, Ruan River… |
And when I got up… 2004. |
Chiffchaffs and mullet. 2004. |
Low tide, Helford. May 2002. |
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Truro River, low tide, mud and sunlight… |
Hot Mylor, mid-summer solstice. 2003. |
Kennal River, Perranarworthal… |
Fields of snow and daffodils, Helford… |
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Across to Rock, evening. July 2004. |
Looking out from under the oaks… |
Down to Frenchman’s Creek… |
Gweek hulk. 2004. |
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Ash, oak and hazel… |
Mawgan Creek high tide… |
Low tide, Tamar… |
Hail storm at Hayle Bar. February 2002. |
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Half a big boat skeleton… |
Neap tides, Hayle estuary mouth… |
Estuary mouth, 2004. |
Winter meander of the Tamar… |
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Creek of the Camel, tide dropping. July 2004. |
Lowe Pool oaks. Pouring rain… |
Dusk, smell of fish. East Quay, Hayle… |
Truro from Lighterage Quay at dusk… |
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Hayle estuary from the Saltings… |
Rooks, pigeons and mallards… |
Little Petherick Creek near Padstow… |
Snow and sunshine, Gillan Creek… |
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A roll of thunder makes the pheasants… |
Winter low sunlight, Tamar meander… |
Gig and docks, Fowey. July 2004. |
China clay docks on the Fowey. July 2004. |
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Lowe Pool, March, early evening. 2004. |
Last sunlight across the creek. May 2002. |
Low sunlight across the creek. May 2002. |
The tide comes up with the mew… |
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Dusk towards Lelant Saltings. |
Midnight out of the window… |
Walking in the sand. 2004. |
Low, low tide, sitting on the sands… |
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The Gannel, sun, rain… |
Looking down towards… |
Helford, snow and daffodils, 2004. |
Hayle harbour / estuary, 5 knots max. December 2003. |
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Pandora Inn, mid-summer solstice evening, 2004. |
Helford Blizzard. Feb 2004. |
Mud and sunlight, the Cornish estuary. 2004. |
Autumn leaves falling in Anne’s Wood, Lelant, November 2002. |
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Polpenwith Creek from Nancenoy settlement. Windy sun, May 2002. |
Tremayne Creek, big mullet below; chiffchaff calling above. Spring 2003. |
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all work copyright Kurt Jackson 2006