Season: spring
Fine weather and a rising tide were the order of the day. The arc of the bay was backlit by the morning sun and visitors were enjoying the shops and cafes at Sennen Cove. There is a sense of deep perspective and a long distance to the horizon here.
John’s lifelong relationship with the beach.
Whitesand Bay at Sennen Cove in the morning.
At the end of the beach as the tide rushes in.
Season: winter
Whitesand Bay, by Sennen Cove, is a particularly fine sight on a low tide such as this, being one of Cornwall’s flattest and most scenic beaches. The sand arcs round to the headland and the raking backdrop is natural, primeval and unspoilt. It’s no wonder then that so many people were walking off the Christmas and New Year festivities during this winter visit. The enhancing dynamic of where the air, land and sea meet was self-evident.
What the beach means to Scott and Claire.
Low tide at Whitesand Bay.
Season: summer
Looking out towards the wild Atlantic seas at Sennen Cove, the waves crashed onto Whitesand Bay, even broaching the harbour wall. A strong, mild wind carried a sense of the sea’s power across the western tip of Cornwall, heady and stimulating, viewed from the shelter of the harbour.
With Wendy at Sennen Cove in Penwith.
The action of the sea on Sennen Cove’s harbour wall and beyond.
Wild waves crashing onto Whitesand Bay at Sennen Cove.
Season: spring
There was a benign, peaceful atmosphere at Sennen Cove on this occasion. The sea lapped against the white sand, feeling a bit odd for such a wild beach as this. The falling tide had revealed kelp and rounded rocks at the far end of the bay. There’s a pleasing crescent shape to the beach, with the surrounding land cossetting you as you look out to sea.
A regular visitor’s take on the beach.
Whitesand Bay on a spring morning.
Season: winter
The sea was alive at Sennen Cove for this winter visit, with surfers and beachgoers alike enjoying it. On a rising half tide, the crescent shape of Whitesand Bay was clearly visible, backed by the pristine dunes. The Atlantic sea breeze is pure here at the tip of these beautiful islands.
With Heather, a beach aficionado, at Sennen Cove in February.
The waves against the beach at Whitesand Bay, Sennen Cove in the winter.
Season: autumn
Early morning, with the sun coming over the dunes on a low tide, was just breathtaking, inspiring a sense of wonder at isolated nature. The early morning light is a great time to see Cornwall’s beaches, well worth getting up early for. At the far western end of the county, Sennen has wild nature and waves, but also an excellent array of facilities, plus arts and craft shops and a harbour with a lifeboat. There is plenty of parking, toilets and a pub with accommodation right by the beach.
On the beach at Sennen Cove at dawn.
Sennen Cove, as seen from the harbour.
I love these videos of Sennen, another favourite haunt of mine. There’s nothing like standing on the beach watching the sunset as it casts golden light on the water and the beach. Coming a close second is watching the waves break over the harbour wall during a storm – have seen that several times this year . Thank you, this website is a lovely way to visit Cornwall.
The beach is different every day – the sand comes and goes, the rocks are there or not, the sea is every shade of blue and green, it has all moods and energies. On the beach I walk, sit, or simply stand and watch – that’s the best thing of all, just watching the waves.
And a poem:
Cavafy ‘Morning Sea’
Let me stop here. Let me, too, look at nature awhile.
The brilliant blue of the morning sea, of the cloudless sky,
the yellow shore; all lovely,
all bathed in light.
Let me stand here. And let me pretend I see all this
(I really did see it for a minute when I first stopped)
and not my usual day-dreams here too,
my memories, those images of sensual pleasure.
For many years I had to commute to London every week to work. Weekends spent on Sennen beach, with the smell of ozone in the air, the soft sand underfoot, swimming in the sea on a warm day or watching the surfers who were there in all winds and weathers – this was what revived me enough to get back in the car on a Sunday night. Now I’m back here full time, I realise how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place.
Sennen Beach always reveals the power of nature. From towering storms in the winter, with waves crashing over Longships Lighthouse and the headland, to the shallow azure waters of summertime, this has to be one of the most magical beaches in the world. Smooth granite boulders and winding paths through the dunes provide a perfect place to just ‘be’ … alone or with people I love. I have such happy memories of this special place.