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The St Austell River (Cornish: Dowr an Wynyk, meaning the little white river) properly known as the River Vinnick, but historically called The White River, is a 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) long river located in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. 50°20′13″N 4°47′35″W / 50.337°N 4.793°W. The river has also been known as the "red river" due to tin streaming and mining activity upstream.
The river drains the central southern section of the St Austell Moorland, the second largest granite mass in Cornwall, an upland formed in the Variscan orogeny, to the north of St Austell. The highest natural point of the moorland is Hensbarrow Beacon at 312 metres (1,024 ft); however modern china clay mining waste tips now rise above it.
The name White River has been adopted locally because waste water from china clay quarrying and refining practices was emptied into the river giving it a white colour.[1]
The local term White River has given its name to the St Austell Town Centre Redevelopment Scheme, which is now called White River Place.
- ^ "Cornwall Rivers Project - Geography - St Austell Stream". Retrieved 17 February 2017.