OF THE
PARISHES OF CORNWALL.
FALMOUTH, alias VAL-MOUTH, alias VALE-MOUTH.
HALS.
Is situate in the hundred of Kerryer, and hath upon the north Budock; east, the haven or harbour of Falmouth; south, the Black Rock and Pendennis Castle; west, Budock, and the British Channel. For the name, it is taken from the Vale river’s mouth, which here empties itself into the British Ocean. And the river itself takes its name from its original fountain in Roach, under Haynes-burrow, called Pen-ta-Vale, Fenton, or Venton; that is to say, the head or chief, good or consecrated, spring or well of water, or river Valley, from thence called the Vale river. This place, in Cornish, is called Val-genow, or Fal-genne; in Saxon, Val-mune; in English, Vale-mouth, synonymous therewith.
This harbour of Falmouth, as mariners tell us, is in all respects the largest and safest haven for ships that this Island of Britain affordeth. Its mouth or entrance from the British Ocean, between the Castles of St. Mawes and Pendennis, situate in St. Anthony and Falmouth parishes, is about a mile and a half distant, the centre or middle thereof above a league, from the said mouth or entrance up the Vale river, by the Rock Island aforesaid, to Carike Road, King’s Road, and Turner’s Wear, south-east about two leagues from thence, still on the Vale river, a
navigable arm or channel of the said harbour, extendeth itself up the country, by Trejago Creek and Castle, towards the incorporate town of Tregony, to the Bridge Place of which it formerly was navigable. [See Cuby.] And it is overlooked on the south-east side, by St. Anthony, St. Just, Philley, Ruan Langhorne, and Cuby parishes. Within the said parishes of St. Just and St. Anthony are also two navigable creeks or channels. Near the castle and incorporate town of St. Mawes, (where formerly stood a monastery of Black Canons Augustine, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, called St. Mary de Vale, for that it was situated on the Vale harbour or river, as its superior monastery is from the Plym river, in Devon, called St. Mary de Plym, whereon it is situate,) from the north-west part of this harbour of Falmouth, between the parishes of Budock, Gluvias, and Milor, another navigable channel extendeth itself up the country to the incorporate town of Penryn. And towards the north another channel or arm thereof, higher up, extendeth itself through the country from the centre about a league, and is navigable to Peran Well and Carnan Bridge. Further up, north-east, another arm or channel of Falmouth Harbour extends itself to the incorporate and coinage town of Truro, and the manor of Moris, and is navigable there about nine miles distance from the Black Rock, or island aforesaid. Lastly, another branch of this harbour extendeth itself to Tresilian Bridge, where it is navigable between the parishes of St. Erme, Probus, and Merther, about ten miles from the mouth of the haven, all which members or branches of the harbour of Falmouth are overlooked with lofty and pleasant hills and vales of land, and within the memory of man abounding with flourishing woods and groves of timber; and before that time Leland the antiquary, in his Itinerary, tells us that this river Vale in his days was encompassed about with the loftiest woods, oaks, and timber-trees that this kingdom afforded temp. Henry VII. and therefore was by the Britons called Cassi-ter, or Casse-ter, viz. wood land,
from which place and haven the Greeks fetching tin, called it in their language κασσιτερος, cassiteros, stanum, and the island aforesaid the Cassiteridan Island. But, alas! now this commodity tin hath made such havock of woods and timber-trees, in searching for and melting the same, that scarcely any of them are to be seen in those places; for, the woods and trees being eradicated, the hills and vales aforesaid have submitted to agriculture, and are made arable lands, which abound with cattle, sheep, corn, and pastures.
From the premises I suppose it is evident what Mr. Carew, in his Survey of Cornwall, saith of this harbour of Falmouth, that 100 sail of ships may lie at anchor within the same, and none of them see the others main tops, by reason of the steep hills and long windings of the several channels thereof. In further praise whereof take these rhymes: