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.
Was a bit worried Manonabeach was going to get his feet wet on the rocks this morning at Constantine Bay. 25/02/12
Walking down to Constantine Bay, you feel the worries of the world lifted from your shoulders. You can hear the waves before you turn the corner and look across the bay towards the Blowhole and Trevose Head beyond.
So many happy memories, rockpooling, staring at the Quies, the days when your children listened to you and the wise words of your grandparents ‘if you cannot see the Quies it is time to go home the rain is coming’.
The sand between your toes, beach cricket, dogs in the surf – where else would you rather be?