Par River, Cornwall

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 474 L 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.