Rivers

The River Tamar – rises in a boggy area near Woolley Moor. The Tamar’s source is less than 3.7 miles from the north Cornish coast but the river flows south through steep wooded valleys and an area of outstanding natural beauty. The total length of the river is 61 miles. The Tamar flows into the Hamoaze before entering Plymouth Sound. Major tributaries include the rivers Deer, Claw, Carey, Ottery, Kensey, Wolf, Lyd, Thrushel, Tavy, Plym and Yealm.

The Tamar is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a European Special Area of Conservation and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A part of it is also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.

Lower Tamar Lake – The reservoir was formed by damming the River Tamar. To the north is the newer Upper Tamar Lake, a reservoir used for public water supply.

The River Deer – is a tributary of the River Tamar, joining it at North Tamerton.

The River Ottery – is about twenty miles long from its source southeast of Otterham to its confluence with the River Tamar at Nether Bridge, two miles northeast of Launceston. With its tributaries, the River Ottery forms a major sub-catchment of the Tamar system, draining 48 square miles of north Cornwall. The infant river initially flows north until it reaches the hamlet of Trengune. From here it adopts a south-easterly course which it follows to its confluence with the River Tamar. The largest tributaries to the River Ottery are Caudworthy Water and Bolsbridge Water which join the Ottery from the north and Canworthy Water which joins from the south.

The River Carey – the Carey rises in the Halwill Moor Plantation in Carey Valley, Halwill, flows south-west past Quoditch and Ashwater before flowing a southern course near Virginstow and then flows into the River Tamar

The River Kensey – the river rises at Kensey in the parish of Treneglos and flows generally east past Tresmeer and Egloskerry and then divides the town of Launceston from its suburb Newport before flowing into the Tamar about a mile east of Launceston.

The River Lyd – is a river rising at Lyd Head in the Dartmoor National Park and flows into the River Tamar beyond Lifton. It runs through Lydford Gorge, the deepest gorge in South West England.

The River Inny – is about twenty miles long from its source near Davidstow on the eastern flank of Bodmin Moor to its confluence with the Tamar at Inny Foot near Dunterton.

The River Tavy – has as its own tributaries, the Collybrooke, River Burn, Wallabrooke, River Lumburn and the River Walkham.