Coypool

The bitterly cold wind and grey overcast sky today offered little incentive to venture outside. Despite the weather though, I headed down to the River Plym at Coypool. Poplar trees in this part of country are an uncommon sight, but here they can be seen lining the banks of the river. Just visible on the left is the perimeter fence surrounding the former depot of the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME). In the late 1990s the site was occupied by the boatbuilding firm Marine Products. According to local historian, Chris Robinson, the name Coypool probably derrives from the wildfowl shoot that once took place here. Around 1850 the Earl of Morley used to float ducks here when out on a shoot. Hence decoy pool or coypool. At that time the area probably looked very different, with the river passing through an area of open marsh land and shallow pools.