WALK FOUR: ONE RED RIVER
A series of guided walks took place during summer 2021, exploring the complex impact of human activity on the ecology of the small post-industrial Red River. Although only 7.5 miles in length, and little more than a stream, the Red River passes through a remarkably diverse physical and cultural landscape. There is no continuous path along its banks, so we plotted four circular routes which, when necessary, diverge, leading to key sites of interest and to higher ground permitting views of the river’s course. Poet and academic Dr John Wedgwood Clarke led the walks, sharing his research and poetry along the way, and invited guests including local experts and visual artists commissioned as part of the project also contributed their research, specialist knowledge and stories.
The fourth walk was held on Saturday 25th September. The route sets out from and returns to the river’s mouth on Godrevy beach, exploring the remains of St Gothian’s chapel, former industrial sandworks and a major explosives factory along the way. The photos below give a flavour of the walk; audio and visual resources are available here, along with a map of the route, for you to explore the area yourself.
The event was produced by Field Notes CIC and photographed by Harvey Gorst.
The walkers gathered at the river’s mouth on Godrevy beach, where John shared a reading of his poetry.
We traced our way back inland and over a road bridge, to see the remains of St Gothians’s Chapel.
Then we traversed the road once again, this time into the Red River Nature Reserve, site of a former industrial sandworks, before heading west and crossing over once more to seek out the streams in the Gwithian Green Nature Reserve.
John led us through the eerie, damaged landscape of the dunes, until we reached the remains of the National Explosive Works where we learnt about the terrible explosion that occurred there in 1904.
Here we paused to reflect on the walk so far, working from writing prompts and creative exercises John had designed to give participants a way into the landscape.
We made our way back along the length of the beach until we returned to the river’s mouth where we had met.
To conclude the walk, John led us to a section of the river bank from which he gathered some sediment and, rubbing it between his fingers, lowered it into the water. We all watched as it dissolved and spread, leaving behind a murky cloud stained red, a trace of the river’s industrial past.
A meeting of many Cornwalls; exploring the biological and cultural ecotones at the river’s mouth.