The Par River ( kw, Dowr Gwernan, meaning ''alder tree river''), also known as the Luxulyan River is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

draining the area north of St Blazey in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Geography

The Par River rises on Criggan Moor, with tributaries rising near Crift, Bokiddick Downs, and the villages of

Lockengate Lockengate is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, UK. It is two miles south of Lanivet on the A391 road. It is in the civil parish of Luxulyan Luxulyan (; kw, Logsulyan), also spelt Luxullian or Luxulian, is a village and civil parish in mid C ...

Lanivet Lanivet ( kw, Lanneves) is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately southwest of Bodmin, and before the Bodmin by-pass was built, the A30 road between London and Land's End passed ...

and Tregullon near Bodmin. It flows southwards via

Bokiddick Bokiddick is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is approximately one mile south of Lanivet Lanivet ( kw, Lanneves) is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately sou ...

, Bodwen, and through the

Luxulyan Valley The Luxulyan Valley ( kw, Glynn Gwernan, meaning ''alder tree valley'') is the steep sided and thickly wooded valley of the River Par, situated in mid Cornwall, England, UK. It contains a major concentration of early 19th century industrial ...

, to flow into St Austell Bay at Par.

History

Until the 16th century the valley below St Blazey contained an estuary and the crossing at St Blazey was the lowest crossing point on the river. Ponts Mill was once a port, up-river of St Blazey, and as late as 1720, 80 ton sea going vessels could reach the port. In January 2017 Imerys Minerals were fined £75,000 with £25,000 costs for polluting the tributary, Rocks Stream. An estimated of Jayfloc 85, a substance harmful to aquatic life, was in July 2013, flushed from a redundant storage tank, through drains and settlement lagoons and into the stream, near

Bugle The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure. History The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...

References

Rivers of Cornwall {{England-river-stub