Fern Pit is on the Newquay side of the Gannel estuary, opposite Crantock. The landing and crossing place connect the Pentire side of the river with a landscape where the tide determines when a short journey is possible.
It also gives its name to an enduring archaeological puzzle: holes cut into the rock nearby were being discussed in the nineteenth century. Their existence is real; their original purpose has not been securely established. They should not automatically become fish tanks, smuggling stores or industrial vats simply because one of those explanations sounds satisfying.
Fern Pit makes most sense alongside Penpol and Trevemper. Together they show how different crossing and landing places served the same estuary. The separate article about the rock-cut holes follows the mystery without turning a suggested function into a fact.
Sources
Connected subjects
Read on
- When Ships Sailed Up the Gannel
The families who built ships, the merchant who fought the mud, and a working river with very little interest in anyone's timetable.
- The Smelter on the Other Side of the Gannel
Ore from Newquay crossed the Gannel to be processed near Crantock. A forgotten works connects the town’s mines to the opposite bank.
- The Strange Holes in the Rock at Fern Pit — A Gannel Mystery Since 1890
The hollows beside Fern Pit have attracted explanations for more than a century. Their history is easier to establish than their purpose.