Category Archives: North Cornwall

Holywell Bay

Season: spring

The extreme low tide on this visit enabled me to see the Holy Well, as in Holywell Bay. The photo below is a still from deep inside the cave, showing the calcareous deposits that form the white well itself. A couple of thanks are due – to Alex Davies for pointing me at the cave and to Theresa at The Well Cafe and Crafts in Cubert, for putting me onto Quiller-Couch’s guide to Cornish Holy Wells. If you go to the Holy Well at low tide, please don’t be so seduced by its beauty that you forget the tide.

The Holy Well at Holywell Bay in North Cornwall.

What the beach means to a local girl, Sharon, who, like so many, had to leave but has returned to live in Cornwall.

The friend Sharon mentions, Don, kindly sent me the photo in question. Here it is:

A pristine beach at low tide.

Under storm clouds at low tide.

Season: spring

This is a magnificent North Cornwall beach at any time, but it was a particular pleasure to catch the scene just after low tide on this early spring day, with the beach largely deserted and the rocks exposed. Holywell Bay is known for its dune system, separating the village from the beach and creating an unspoilt, natural feel next to the Atlantic breakers.

Jamie’s testimony to this beach.

A view of the beach at low tide from the high dunes behind.

Season: summer

The colours were from a silver grey palette this evening at Holywell Bay. On a rising tide the expansive, flat beach shone silver as each waves receded after breaking. There was a wistful, reflective atmosphere in the early evening light, with couples having a last look at the day’s sea before going for a drink or back home.

With Simon, fishing from the beach in the early evening.

Holywell Bay’s beach, as seen from the water’s edge.

Season: winter

This was a cold and still morning at the start of February. The sand crunched under my feet as I walked down to the beach among the first frost of this otherwise mild winter. The sea shone silver against a pale sky, mirroring the fragile beauty of the sand dunes next to the beach.

On the beach at Holywell Bay with Carol and Tony, who explain changes in the structure of the dunes over time.

Season: autumn

Located between Newquay and Perranporth, this beach has a less trippy feel than some of its neighbours. It takes a walk through the dunes to get to the sea. On the beach there’s an unspoilt feel, with the Atlantic breakers crashing in.

Here is Jenny at the National Trust car park near to the beach. The organisation have protected so much of the coastline for us from unscrupulous development, so this was a chance to say thank you.

Padstow

Season: winter

A bright winter day at Padstow showcased the harbour and its sheltering fishing boats. A barrier which opens onto the inner harbour provides enough tidal water to float the boats inside, even at low tide. The town looked a picture, quiet and characterful, a reminder that fishing and Padstow’s relationship with the sea is still very important around these parts.

The pull of the beach for Steve.

A look around Padstow’s inner harbour.

Season: autumn

Looking back up the River Camel towards Padstow from Stepper Point gives a different perspective. It reminded me of Padstow’s sheltered geographical context in this part of North Cornwall. There’s such outstanding natural beauty to be seen from this headland that it’s well worth the walk up from the town via Hawker’s Cove. There was a high spring tide in Padstow on this occasion.

With Julie in Padstow on a high tide.

Season: winter

Padstow harbour looked breathtaking for this visit on a mild January morning. The tide was in. This well-known tourist town has a strong fishing tradition and I learned more about it from the harbour master, Rob Atkinson. Everywhere is walkable, basically grouped around the attractive inner harbour. There are excellent independent shops, restaurants, hotels and pubs to hand. There’s also a ferry across the Camel estuary to beautiful Rock and Porthilly.

With Padstow harbour master, Rob Atkinson.

Chatting to Philip, leading sand from the quayside at Padstow.

Padstow in the morning.

Chapel Porth beach

Season: autumn

A calm sea was lit by the easterly morning sun. At low tide the geology in the sea caves around the corner from the main part of the beach was striking, nestled below the abandoned engine house that stands on the stark cliffs here. The waves were modest yet long, perfectly formed arcs just before they broke. I ran into Ralph, one of the first manonabeach® interviewees from last year, enjoying his passion for sea fishing.

A re-acquaintance with Ralph in his natural environment.

Chapel Porth beach shows its gentle side.

Season: autumn

As the sun broke in the east, it lit a wild sea on Cornwall’s North Coast. The breakers piled in relentlessly over the broken rocks at the head of the beach. This was elemental nature in the raw. The tide really races in here and you have to be watchful at the water’s edge. When you leave Chapel Porth on a morning such as this, you feel exhilarated and alive, recharged and ready to go.

Richard enjoys the sea, in awe at the elements.

The action of the sea on the land at Chapel Porth.

Season: summer

This is an elemental beach with a dramatic approach down a winding road in a deep gorge. The beach faces the Atlantic and the geology bears witness to the land’s abrasive relationship with the ocean, featuring stark rocky outcrops that have been chiseled apart by the weather and sea. It is a rejuvenating environment, always breezy and invigorating, a place to gain a positive charge at the start of the day.

Stephen’s affinity for this beach.

At the water’s edge in the morning.

Season: spring

The approach by road to Chapel Porth beach, located near St Agnes in North Cornwall, is dramatic. You drop between two imposing hillsides, with the road clinging to one side, its edge marked by posts between you and the drop. It has the feel of Wrynose or Hardknott Passes in the Lake District. On this occasion I was greeted by the North Atlantic breakers beyond the beach. The tide was nearly out, with eroded rock standing proud against the beach and sea. Chapel Porth is a wild place, natural and untamed, braced in a cauldron of elements.

Bob explains the draw of Chapel Porth beach to his family.

The rocks and the beach, standing back from a falling tide.

Inside a magical sea tunnel beside the waves on Chapel Porth beach.

Season: winter

It was a windy morning at Chapel Porth. The beach is at the bottom of a deep valley. It has plenty of parking right on the beach and a toilet block which forms part of the National Trust investment that has been made in its infrastructure. It does feel isolated from the retail world, and it is all the better for it. The beach is on an exhilarating stretch of the South West Coast Path and is notable for its foreboding cliffs.

My chat with Ralph, who has a lifetime’s perspective on beach life here, specifically body boarding and fishing. He explains the best way and time to catch bass off the rocks.

Trebarwith Strand

Season: autumn

This was a great surprise, after an aborted trip to Tintagel. I caught Trebarwith Strand at high tide in the sunshine, with a stark and dramatic distinction between the black rocks and white surf crashing in on clean sets of waves. It was a relentless and mesmerising experience to witness, as you can see by the reaction of my interviewee. There are toilets, a café and a shop here, as well as parking at hand. Although it’s a fine beach at all tide levels, try to get there at high tide to see what I mean.

Pippa’s natural high.

High tide at Trebarwith Strand, white surf and black rocks.

Season: winter

There was bright sunshine for the last day of the manonabeach® winter season. I re-visited Trebarwith Strand, a breathtakingly beautiful cove, just round from Tintagel. Clean Atlantic breakers rolled relentlessly against the black rock, the white spray framed in a bright blue sky.

Trebarwith Strand from above, outside the Port William pub.

John explains his profound affinity for the creative side of nature at the beach.

Season: summer

It was high tide again on this occasion. There’s a magical atmosphere at Trebarwith Strand, harmonious and inclusive. The setting for this small cove and the expansive beach is without pretension, so natural beauty is at the front of people’s minds. There’s outstanding walking here on the cliffs above the strand.

A clash of sea and rock at Trebarwith Strand.

Boscastle

Season: summer

This morning Boscastle’s harbour was cloaked in shades of grey on a full tide. Contrast was offered by the bright white of the breaking waves against the black rock walls of the natural harbour entrance, as the sea is turned right by the rugged geology. Further up the channel, calm water provided a gentle backdrop to my chat with Ruth, who lives above the harbour and fishes from it.

With Ruth, who explains her love for the sea.

With visitor Neville, expounding the virtues of New Zealand’s beaches and their uses.

At the entrance to Boscastle’s natural harbour.

Season: autumn

It was a bright, sunny morning at Boscastle for this visit. On a high tide, the harbour looked splendid. The town has been fully renovated since the floods and has convenient shops, accommodation and plenty of parking.

Interviewee Jack was a font of historical knowledge about Boscastle, explaining the reciprocal trade between Cornwall and South Wales (tin for coal) and Cornwall’s historical trade with the Phoenicians (tin for saffron from India).

The harbour at Boscastle, seen from above at high tide.

Perranporth beach

Season: winter

The frosted sand crunched under my feet on an icy visit to Perranporth in February. The sky was azure blue and the tide was out, showcasing this fine beach, with small, clean breakers at the water’s edge. Although it was cold, the air was still and I enjoyed a chat with two horse riders on the beach.

With Janie and Belinda on the sand at Perranporth beach.

Season: autumn

A wistful, winter sky was the highlight of this early morning visit. Colours fused between the sea and sky on the horizon, subtle whites, greys and blues, with red and black flecks. At dawn the sky seemed to wrap itself around the beach to make a self-contained place without the sharp distinction between the parts that the brighter, daylight sun would bring later in the day.

Carol takes this beach with her wherever she goes.

A dawn scene at the expansive Perranporth beach.

Season: spring

A low tide combined with a sea mist to produce an atmospheric scene for this visit. As the sun began to burn off the mist, the sky was reflected in the sand on the ebb tide. Regulars and visitors mingled in the acres of space here, with a walk to the end of the beach taking a good half hour. At times like this, Perranporth is one of the finest beaches to visit in the county.

Nigel would be here anyway, even without his hobby.

Season: autumn

One of Cornwall’s most popular beaches, Perranporth has plenty of beach-side parking. It’s a large, dangerous North Coast beach, often featured in beach rescue programmes on TV. This is a great beach to happily combine natural beauty and sociable action.

The rip tides and shifting sand had attracted a joint Plymouth University / RNLI team to investigate sand movement. Here is Tim Scott from the university research team.

The apparatus set up by Plymouth University to test the movement of sand during tidal change on Perranporth beach .

Crantock beach

Season: autumn

To crouch in the lea of a rocky outcrop down by the water on East Pentire, as the wind howls above, is quite an experience. Only inches from the pounding Atlantic breakers, the sun explodes out of the clouds to the left in golden shafts, lighting white horses on the storm-tossed waves. The sound is elemental, indescribable; unexpected walls of white water rise rhythmically between the torn rock at your feet.

Why Richard goes to the beach.

On East Pentire, looking across and back to Crantock beach.

Season: spring

Crantock’s wide open beach was laid out in the sun, a fine sight from the dunes behind. The River Gannel snaked back towards Newquay, with East Pentire behind. A cold wind sent sand scudding across the pristine beach and the receding tide left intricate dimples among pools of clear water in the sand. Looking down from East Pentire later, this stunning beach is one that can freeze your thoughts in time, holding you with its charms for too short a time.

Ben’s relationship with the beach for both work and pleasure.

The scene at Crantock.

A view of the beach from the dunes.

Season: summer

This is a popular Cornish beach, large in scale and under the care of the National Trust. If you look back to the beach from the end of either Pentire, it has a theatrical nature, charismatic and wild, with sand dunes behind. The beach itself usually has a breeze, even on the apparently stillest day and this gives a walk here an invigorating feel. The River Gannel runs to the sea under East Pentire, covering treacherous tides at its confluence with the Atlantic. More than most, this is a beach that stays in your mind’s eye long after you’ve left it.

Season: winter

I returned to Crantock on a beautiful January day, with the sun bathing the beach on a falling tide. The scene was peaceful, not one you would naturally associate with winter. Crantock is a fine village on the North Cornwall coast, with pubs, hotels, tourist attractions, a shop and holiday lets all readily to hand. There is a toilet block next to the car park, which sits just behind the sand dunes.

A mother and daughter on the beach at Crantock in North Cornwall.

The beach, as seen from above, this time accessed from the western end of the beach.

Season: autumn

It was a bright sunny day on this visit to Crantock, perfect to enjoy one of Cornwall’s premier visitor beaches. Parking is at the National Trust car park through the village behind the dunes, or next to the Bowgie pub on the headland. There’s a well-equipped shop in the nearby village and a choice of pubs.

My first view of Crantock beach on the path down from the Bowgie Inn.

Due to the low tide I could explore the makeshift pull-up places and shed for pilchard fishing in olden days. Continued in the next film.

Continued from the previous film, the makeshift pull-up places and pilchard shed.

Investigating the caves along the side of the beach, I noticed a poem written on a cave wall.

Fistral beach

Season: summer

Dawn was breaking just behind the dunes. The beach was in shadow, but the hotels on East Pentire were brightly lit. A high tide pushed early morning walkers up to the higher reaches of the beach and the car park was empty. Interviewee Simon looked down on his favourite beach from the comfort of the gardens at The Headland Hotel, evoking dreams of times gone by and times to come.

Childhood memories and future family times for Simon.

Early morning above Fistral beach in the summer.

Season: summer

A long spell of high pressure continued. Crowds had flocked to this magnificent beach to enjoy the ongoing fine summer. Surfers, sunbathers and walkers mingled by the sea. There are plenty of facilities behind the beach and in the town beyond. Fistral is often referred to as the surfing capital of Cornwall, but it’s also a wonderful place to paddle or swim, framed by Towan Head, East Pentire and the dunes behind the beach itself.

The fun of the beach for Lindsey.

A summer day at Fistral beach.

Season: autumn

You may be tired and find yourself at Fistral beach on a stormy morning like this. It’s low tide. You’re close to the wild waves and the apocalyptic sky, with the sand shining like glass. You’re going to return home completely rejuvenated. The energy in a North Cornwall beach on a stormy day lifts the soul. It’s a chaotic harmony, odd and wonderful. Fistral beach always has and always will attract thrill seekers, adventurous spirits who travel miles to immerse themselves in some of the best surf in these islands. As a town beach in Newquay, there’s an exuberant side to Fistral and it hosts most of the national and international surfing legs that visit Cornwall.

Kite surfer Andy at Fistral beach, about to commune with nature…

…and here he is, among the waves.

Season: winter

The sun was slipping below East Pentire on arrival at Fistral beach. The Headland Hotel still caught the sun, as did Towan Head and the white lookout post that sits above Little Fistral to the east. On the beach there was a sense of a Scottish gloaming, countered by the roaring surf of the ebb tide. A big Atlantic storm was forecast, so it was time to get home before dark and light the fire.

All that the beach gives to Andy.

The scene by the water on an ebb tide at Fistral beach as a winter day draws to a close.

Season: spring

This early evening visit was a chance to see Fistral beach relatively empty before the seasonal crowds arrived. The tide was out and a few couples and dog walkers were pottering along the water’s edge.

Two sisters with their thoughts on the appeal of the beach.

Season: winter

I visited the magnificent Fistral beach on this occasion during the Festive Season in December 2011, approaching from the parking at East Pentire on the road above the western end of the beach. You can also park at the town end in a Pay & Display car park, which has toilets, other facilities and shops. The beach is renowned for its surfing waves and surf culture, so if you want to see it when it’s quiet, visit early in the morning or off-season.

A chat with Andy on his way back from a surf, framed by the majesty of the Atlantic breakers behind.

A fine panorama at Fistral beach in Newquay, seen from above the western end of the beach.

Polzeath beach

Season: autumn

Bright sunshine combined with a low tide to showcase a picture perfect beach at Polzeath. There is a great view of the beach from the higher ground at New Polzeath, with a backdrop of Greenaway, the Doom Bar, the Camel Estuary and Stepper Point. This iconic beach pulls visitors back every year, or more often, as Bruce and Pauline testify, below:

Bruce and Pauline explain the permanent reference point that Polzeath beach provides for them.

A view of the beach at low tide, this time from New Polzeath.

Season: summer

The car parks and beach were crowded by 9.30 a.m.on this holiday weekend. Warm sunshine lit my way down to the water’s edge. Although it’s an enormously popular beach, at low tide there are always nooks and crannies, that enable you to hide away from the crowds. Children played in the rock pools, watched over by parents in deck chairs. The surf was clean and many people were already in among the waves. Holiday time had arrived in North Cornwall.

With Nichola at the top of Polzeath beach.

Vicks and Louise explain what the beach means to them.

Season: winter

I dropped onto the beach below Greenaway on this occasion, at the Polzeath end of a beautiful walk to Daymer Bay. It was Christmas time and a bright, low sun lit the way, with an electric blue sky above. Locals and visitors scoured the beach for pebbles and shells, while I chatted to a couple sheltering behind a rock. Their children played nearby in an idyllic setting. Highly recommended.

Llyr and Sarah relax on the beach.

The beach below Greenaway, along from Polzeath.

Season: winter

Polzeath looked magnificent on an ebb tide. This beach is a popular Cornish tourist destination, claiming the best surf in the county. Although it was a weekend visit, the village and beach were quite quiet and the offshore breeze was chilly. The village has bars, restaurants, shops, a church and cafes, all next to the beach, as well as ample parking.

Two young beachgoers blowing in the wind, each with their own interpretation of the beach.

Constantine Bay

Season: spring

The arrival at Constantine Bay can stop you in your tracks, such is the breathtaking natural beauty here. I particularly enjoy this beach at low tide. Not only does it reveal its arcing shape, but the wonder of freshly exposed rock pools and their contents are a real treat. This early morning visit during Easter week meant that Constantine Bay was relatively quiet, with a handful of surfers plying the clean sets of Atlantic breakers.

The beach as a place of fulfillment for Mike.

Season:winter

The recent storms had scooped vast tracts of sand from the back of the beach, exposing some previously buried electric cabling to the RNLI station by the entrance to the beach. The sun was shining and the low tide showed off Constantine Bay in all its glory. At the water’s edge benign breakers rolled in from the Atlantic, providing the therapeutic sound of the sea for weekending visitors.

The tonic of a visit to the beach for Steve and Annette.

Low tide at Constantine Bay in the winter sunshine.

Season: summer

Wild waves crashed onto the rocks and beach this morning. The weather was mild and windy, with families and walkers enjoying the ebb tide, some passing through between Harlyn and Treyarnon, or even Porthcothan, to enjoy a spectacular walk on the outstanding North Cornwall section of the South West Coast Path.

With Steve, who shares his thoughts about the beach and sea in the context of a life well lived.

Out on the rocks near to the sea.

Season: spring

Bright sunshine for this morning visit had brought early visitors out onto the beach. Constantine Bay looked splendid at low tide, welcoming and open to all. Seasonal concessions, selling coffee and renting surfboards, were up with the lark.

Geoff explains the tonic of daily beach visits.

Jill explains what the beach means to her.

The beach at Constantine Bay, seen from the sand dunes at low tide.

Season: autumn

This was a trip during the Indian summer of 2011 on a windy but sunny day. There’s an accessible car park with toilets at the end of the beach, but no shops at hand. The beach gets very busy during the summer season. It’s a beach that always seems to have a grander scale than its actual dimensions, feeling rather like Crantock or Watergate Bay when the weather is wild. Its off-season character is very different from the busy scene during the August school holidays. At this time of year local dog walkers and long-standing, regular visitors are the staple beach users and there’s an easy, rustic ambiance.

Meeting a Mum and her son who were visiting their home in the village; she clearly yearned to live here and he was glad to visit. Massive wolf hounds, as I remember.

My chat with Matthew at the car park just behind the beach.