Constantine Bay is a village and beach on the Atlantic

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 coast of north Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. It is situated approximately three miles (5 km) west of Padstow

Padstow

Padstow is a town, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge, ten miles northwest of Bodmin and ten miles northeast of Newquay...

 and is in the parish of St Merryn

St Merryn

St Merryn is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall, United Kingdom approximately three and a half miles south of the fishing port of Padstow and approximately 11 miles northeast of the coastal resort of Newquay....

. The beach is popular with surfers

Surfing

Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...

 and has lifeguard

Lifeguard

A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...

 patrols in the summer. Constantine Bay is named after Saint Constantine

Constantine (British saint)

Saint Constantine is the name of one or many British or Pictish saints.- Identification :South-west BritainA Saint Constantine is revered in Devon and Cornwall. Based purely on similarity of a common name, some have identified him with the monarch Constantine of Dumnonia, despite the latter's...

, a 6th century Cornish saint

Saint

A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...

 possibly identified with a minor British king Constantine

Constantine (Briton)

Constantine was a minor king in 6th-century sub-Roman Britain, who was remembered in later British tradition as a legendary King of Britain. The only contemporary information about him comes from Gildas, who calls him king of Damnonia and castigates him for his various sins, including the murder...

. St Constantine's Well, an historic site, is accessible by public right of way on Trevose Golf Club's golf course. The area was a favourite holiday location of Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...

 during her premiership.

Trevose Head and Constantine Bay SSSI is designated for both its biological and geological interests. The dune system at Constantine Bay is in an unfavourable declining condition because of the invasion by species such as bramble

Bramble

Brambles are thorny plants of the genus Rubus, in the rose family . Bramble fruit is the fruit of any such plant, including the blackberry and raspberry. The word comes from Germanic *bram-bezi, whence also German Brombeere , Dutch Braam and French framboise...

, ivy

Ivy

Ivy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...

 and sea buckthorn; and by visitor pressure causing erosion.

Other coastal villages nearby include Harlyn

Harlyn

Harlyn is a small village on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated inland from Harlyn Bay three miles from Padstow and about one mile from St. Merryn....

, Porthcothan

Porthcothan

Porthcothan is a coastal village in Cornwall, United Kingdom, situated between Newquay and Padstow. It is within the parish of St Eval. The beach is popular with tourists and surfers and is patrolled by lifeguards during the day in the summer; local surf schools sometimes use the beach for tuition...

, Trevone

Trevone

Trevone is a seaside village near Padstow in Cornwall, England, UK.One long road, surrounded by houses, village hall, WI meeting hall, village shop and with few roads branching off, leads down to the beach. Two or three houses are "bed and breakfast" guest houses. There is a surf shop and small...

 and Treyarnon

Treyarnon

Treyarnon is a small beach in Cornwall, England, UK near Padstow. It is a popular holiday resort with a caravan park, Youth Hostel and café.-Treyarnon Bay:...