The Gover Valley runs through the middle of St. Austell on it's way to the sea at Pentewan.
The river has always been known locally as the White River because it's source is up in the hills to the North of St. Austell which is china clay mining country. The china clay used to be blasted out of the hills using high power water jets and the slurry used to flow down the river in a white torrent.
Very little clay is mined these days so the river has gone back to being a clear and gentle trickle. It is a very interesting walk up the valley these days with lots of industrial relics and a huge lake that used to be a clay quarry. There are also many slag heaps which have been reclaimed by nature and are affectionately referred to by the locals as The Cornish Alps.
