Season: winter
On a beautiful winter morning cormorants were hanging their wings out to dry on the beach. The sun lit up St Ives across the bay. Behind the beach Hayle harbour had been redeveloped and cleaned up, so this is now a bright and positive environment. The clear light showcased Godrevy lighthouse in the distance. The beach felt harmonious and settling.
With artist Tanya, who explains what the beach means to her.
Season: winter
On the western side of the Hayle estuary lies Porthkidney beach, with fine views from Godrevy Lighthouse right around to St Ives via the Gwithian, Hayle and Carbis Bay beaches. At low tide there are acres of golden sands and it’s a favourite destination for dog walkers. There are extensive dunes behind the beach, interspersed with gun emplacements from World War 2, when Hayle was an important munitions and fuel additives location.
The many uses of the beach for Heather and Martin.
The scene at low tide on Porthkidney beach in Hayle.
Season: autumn
This is an under-used beach with an accessible car park and wonderful, fine sand, as well as great views. There is both history here, with weapons storage during the war and innovation, through the offshore Wave Hub technology, which gives a glimpse of how sustainable, innovative employment and unspoilt nature can co-exist.
An interesting perspective on Hayle’s history.
What the beach and local people mean to a Hayle resident.
The connection cable to the Wavehub project, exposed by the sea’s action on the sand.
The outstanding isolation and natural beauty of Hayle Towans beach in the morning.
A first view of Hayle Towans beach from the car park in the dunes.
Season: summer
A tranquil morning on the beach in Hayle coincided with a fast rising tide. The sea and sky fused into one blur of colour, creating a soporific backdrop to a spectacular beach. As beachgoers flickered in and out of view along the misty water’s edge, the sky seemed to cosset all of us on the beach, holding us in suspended animation before the routine of daily life reclaimed us.
Caroline’s release via the beach on a trip down from Bristol.
A misty, still morning on the beach below Hayle Towans.
