Tag: Beaches
Location Guide: Crantock Beach
February 08th, 2019
In our new location guide series, we will be taking a look at some of the most interesting and exciting places around Cornwall. Crantock Beach is located in Newquay on the north coast of Cornwall, and as well as being a gorgeous location it also hides a romantic secret. Read on to discover more about this fantastic spot.
The Beach
A stretch of golden sand framed by impressive dunes, Crantock Beach is suited to an array of beach activities. The sand is ideal for building sandcastles and is also very soft, making it the perfect place to head for a seaside stroll. The surf is typically excellent at this beach, and with surfboard hire and lessons available here, it doesn’t matter if you have never surfed before or do not have any boards with you! Other water sports such as snorkelling, swimming, wind-surfing and canoeing are also very popular here. For those visiting between May and September, there will be lifeguard cover on the beach, allowing you to partake in such seaside activities with extra safety.
With no restrictions in place for dogs, Crantock is also the perfect place for walkies with your pup, especially with a variety of walking routes in the area. Perfect for a full day out on the beach, the area is equipped with toilets, a café for refreshments and parking for up to 150 cars! Owned by the National Trust, parking will be free for members.
The Caves
As with many locations in Cornwall, myth and legend has long surrounded one area of this beach. At the far end of the beach sit a series of small caves that are hidden within the cliff walls. These caves are only accessible when the tide is low, and they can quickly get cut off as the tide rises. While rumours of carvings in these caves have long been whispered in the local area, recent photos of the mysterious carvings have proven their existence and shared the sad tale with the world.
The carvings are of a woman and a horse, alongside a poem, and they appear to be in reference to a local folklore tale. As the story goes, a woman was exploring the caves on her horse when she realised that she had been cut off by the tide and tragically drowned. Her partner, known as Joseph Prater, is said to have carved the poem and images into the cave wall as a tribute to his late wife after he failed to locate her. It is thought to have been completed in the early 1900s. The poem reads:
“Mar not my face but let me be
Secure in this lone cavern by the sea
Let the wild waves around me roar
Kissing my lips for evermore.”
While the caves on Crantock Beach are accessible, and the carvings can be located, extreme caution is advised, as the story itself warns of the dangers of the tides here.
If you would like to explore Crantock Beach or any of the other incredible coastal locations in Cornwall, then our luxury Cornish cottages act as the perfect base for your adventures!
Image Credit: Nilfanion
Who Knew These 9 Exceptional Facts About Newquay?
July 20th, 2018
When guests stay at our child-friendly cottages, Cornwall is their oyster. Newquay, the popular seaside town on the north coast, is less than an hours’ drive from our 5-star cottages and well worth visiting on a day out. Behind every destination, there is a captivating history, and Newquay is no different. Before you make your way to discover the delights of Newquay for yourself, why not read up on some fascinating facts about the Cornish town?
Cornwall: the perfect location for high-end films
January 16th, 2017
It is no secret that Falmouth has become a hub for creativity in Cornwall, with one of the UK’s leading arts universities based in this beautiful part of the world.
Why Cornwall is magical in the winter
December 29th, 2016
Many people in the UK will leave their staycations for the summer, when the weather is, on occasion, warmer and brighter; however, these people tend to miss out on the magical side of Cornwall that can only be experienced during the winter months. With these great reasons, there will be no reason not to book your breaks in Cornwall during the winter:
Cornish beach named as one of the best in the world
March 04th, 2016
Cornwall has some of the best beaches in the UK, and it has been announced that one of Cornwall’s beaches is also one of the top ten in the world.
The National Geographic magazine named Carne Beach in Gerrans Bay as the second best in the world. Carne Beach is located on the south coast of the Roseland Peninsula between Nare Head and Porthscatho.
A number of other Cornwall attraction were also mentioned in the magazine, from St Ives and Land’s End to Poldark and Doc Martin.
The beach is friendly to dogs, perfect for swimming and other beach activities. If you are having a holiday with dogs whilst staying at one of The Valley’s cottages, Carne Beach is a great destination to visit and gives you the chance to see some of the best places in Cornwall.
Coming in second, Carne Beach was just behind Racuh a Payaman in the Philipines. The Cornwall beach beat out others from all over the world, in Australia, Cuba, Florida, Sri Lanka and Maine in the USA.
Malcolm Bell, chief executive of Visit Cornwall, said: “It’s nice to have a beach identified on the South Coast. In its class it’s definitely world class.”
He said visitors to Cornwall from around the UK and abroad were struck by the quality of Cornwall’s 300 beaches.
Other blogs you may like:
Visit Looe Island on your Cornish escape
Fantastic festivals in Cornwall this year
Photo by: Reading Tom
