Pont Creek

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Pont Creek, or Pont Pill as it is more commonly known, joins the River Fowey[1] at Penleath Point just below Sir Arthur Quiller Couch's memorial, at the North Eastern corner of Fowey Harbour. Pont Pill is a shallow tidal river with a channel running through the mostly muddy bottom that is only safely navigable on the highest of tides. Pont Pill is thought to be part of the inspiration for Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger's adventures in The Wind in the Willows[2] after author Kenneth Grahame's holiday in the Fowey area lead to the creation of the bedtime stories he told to his son, and later developed into the famous children's book.

Undisturbed and unspoiled by development Pont Pill is a quiet haven for bird watchers, walkers, sailors and fishermen. The best way to see Pont Pill is by small boat at high tide, when one can reach the bridge 1 1/2 miles up river at the end of the navigable water. Walkers can see Pont Pill from hills that surround the river by taking the Hall walk, part of the The National Trust's South West Coast Path[3], that starts in Bodinnick[4] and ends in Fowey[5], traveling via Pont Pill, Polruan[6] and the passenger ferry.

Rowing up Pont Pill in a rowing boat while joining the herons watch the many Grey Mullet swim at the still waters surface on a quiet summers afternoon is truly living out Ratty's belief that "There is NOTHING - absolute nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats".

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