Although in Cornwall, on the east bank of the Carrick Roads (ie east of Falmouth), these two pictures of St Just Pool show the special character of the Devonian rivieras, the drowned valleys or rias of the westcountry that bring a little of the Swallows and Amazons to quiet spots like these.



In particular, the little quay by St Just-in-Roseland Church - probably one of my favourite spots of Cornwall - has a stillness and serenity that are hard to equal. The very deep water a dozen yards out into the Roads almost destroyed it at the beginning of the twentieth century, however. Plans to construct a branch line and to park most of Britain’s navy here fortunately ran out of money.