Perranporth
Encyclopedia
Perranporth is a small seaside resort
on the north coast of Cornwall
, England, United Kingdom. It is 6 miles (10 km) southwest of Newquay
and 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Truro
. Perranporth and its 3 miles (5 km) long beach face the Atlantic Ocean
.
Perranporth has a population of 3,066, and is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Perranzabuloe
. The parish church is in Perranzabuloe village but there is an Anglican chapel-of-ease in Perranporth dedicated to St Michael which opened in 1872.
The village's name is Cornish
for Saint Piran's cove (Saint Piran
is one of the patron saints of Cornwall). It is believed that Saint Piran founded a church at Perranzabuloe near Perranporth in the seventh century. Buried under sand for many centuries, it was unearthed early in the twentieth century, but again left to the mercy of the sands in the 1970s.
, originally built during World War II as an RAF fighter station, is now a civil airfield located on the plateau
above the cliffs.
Until the 1960s, Perranporth was served by a railway line. Built as the Truro and Newquay Railway, the line ran from Chacewater
to Newquay
and the principal intermediate stop was Perranporth station.
road. The village centre has a various shops and cafés including a co-operative store, premier convenience store, the Camelot restaurant and a Wetherspoons
bar, as well as six pubs. The long-distance South West Coast Path
runs past the village. There is a long-distance coach service provided by National Express
(service 316) which runs between London and Perranporth.
Perranporth is a popular family holiday destination. A wide sandy beach
, Perran Beach, extends northwest from the town for nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) to Ligger Point. The beach faces west onto Perran Bay and the Atlantic Ocean
and is a popular surfing
location. There are lifeguard beach patrols from May to September and the beach is generally safe for bathing although there are dangerous rip current
s around Chapel Rock at ebb tide
s.
Perran Beach is backed by extensive sand dunes which extend nearly a mile inland. Known as Penhale Sands, the dunes are used for orienteering
competitions and there is an army training camp and a golf course on the dunes. They are also a valuable resource for wildlife with many rare plants and insects including Cornwall's largest colony of the Silver-studded Blue
a Red Data Book
species.
At the south end of the beach are cliffs with natural arch
es, natural stack
s and tin-mining adit
s. There is a youth hostel
above the cliffs at Droskyn Point. Nearby is the 19th century Droskyn Castle, formerly a hotel and now divided into apartments.
Southwest of Perranporth, the coast becomes more rocky with cliffs rising to approximately 232 feet (90 metres) at Cligga Head. These cliffs form the Cligga Head SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest
), noted for its geological
and biological
interest.
.
is very popular in Perranporth with its long sands and beach break, the surf life saving club and hosting a triathlon event every autumn. The beach is also a popular destination for Kite Surfing enthusiasts.
(who opened the first garage/petrol station in the village in 1919; a nearby cider farm run by a grandson of his has a detailed graphic display about his life) and the author Winston Graham
(who lived in Perranporth for many years and whose Poldark
novels are based on the area).
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
on the north coast of 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...
, England, United Kingdom. It is 6 miles (10 km) southwest of Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
and 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Truro
Truro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
. Perranporth and its 3 miles (5 km) long beach face the Atlantic Ocean
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...
.
Perranporth has a population of 3,066, and is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Perranzabuloe
Perranzabuloe
Perranzabuloe is a coastal civil parish and a hamlet in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The hamlet is situated just over a mile south of the principal settlement of the parish, Perranporth; the hamlet is also seven miles south-southwest of Newquay...
. The parish church is in Perranzabuloe village but there is an Anglican chapel-of-ease in Perranporth dedicated to St Michael which opened in 1872.
The village's name is Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
for Saint Piran's cove (Saint Piran
Saint Piran
Saint Piran or Perran is an early 6th century Cornish abbot and saint, supposedly of Irish origin....
is one of the patron saints of Cornwall). It is believed that Saint Piran founded a church at Perranzabuloe near Perranporth in the seventh century. Buried under sand for many centuries, it was unearthed early in the twentieth century, but again left to the mercy of the sands in the 1970s.
History
Perranporth AirfieldPerranporth Airfield
Perranporth Airfield airfield is located southwest of Perranporth and southwest of Newquay, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is a former World War II Royal Air Force fighter station....
, originally built during World War II as an RAF fighter station, is now a civil airfield located on the plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
above the cliffs.
Until the 1960s, Perranporth was served by a railway line. Built as the Truro and Newquay Railway, the line ran from Chacewater
Chacewater
Chacewater is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately three miles east of Redruth.-Village:...
to Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
and the principal intermediate stop was Perranporth station.
Geography
Perranporth is centred on a main street, St Piran's Road, which carries the B3285 Newquay to St AgnesSt Agnes, Cornwall
St Agnes is a civil parish and a large village on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately five miles north of Redruth and ten miles southwest of Newquay....
road. The village centre has a various shops and cafés including a co-operative store, premier convenience store, the Camelot restaurant and a Wetherspoons
Wetherspoons
J D Wetherspoon plc is a British pub chain based in Watford. Founded as a single pub in 1979 by Tim Martin, the company now owns 815 outlets. The chain champions cask ale, low prices, long opening hours, and no music. The company also operates the Lloyds No...
bar, as well as six pubs. The long-distance South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
runs past the village. There is a long-distance coach service provided by National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
(service 316) which runs between London and Perranporth.
Perranporth is a popular family holiday destination. A wide sandy beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, Perran Beach, extends northwest from the town for nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) to Ligger Point. The beach faces west onto Perran Bay and the Atlantic Ocean
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...
and is a popular surfing
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...
location. There are lifeguard beach patrols from May to September and the beach is generally safe for bathing although there are dangerous rip current
Rip current
A rip current, commonly referred to by the misnomer rip tide, is a strong channel of water flowing seaward from near the shore, typically through the surf line. Typical flow is at 0.5 metres per second , and can be as fast as 2.5 metres per second...
s around Chapel Rock at ebb tide
Ebb Tide
"Ebb Tide" is a popular song, written in 1953 by the lyricist Carl Sigman and composer Robert Maxwell.-Recordings:* The best-known versions are by Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra , Vic Damone , Roy Hamilton , Frank Sinatra , The Platters , Lenny Welch and the Righteous Brothers...
s.
Perran Beach is backed by extensive sand dunes which extend nearly a mile inland. Known as Penhale Sands, the dunes are used for orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
competitions and there is an army training camp and a golf course on the dunes. They are also a valuable resource for wildlife with many rare plants and insects including Cornwall's largest colony of the Silver-studded Blue
Silver-studded Blue
The Silver-studded Blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behavior and distribution:So named due to the silvery blue metallic spots on the underside hind wings. The upperside are a rich, deep iridescent blue in the males with a black border and the characteristic Lycid white...
a Red Data Book
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
species.
At the south end of the beach are cliffs with natural arch
Natural arch
A natural arch or natural bridge is a natural geological formation where a rock arch forms, with an opening underneath. Most natural arches form as a narrow ridge, walled by cliffs, become narrower from erosion, with a softer rock stratum under the cliff-forming stratum gradually eroding out until...
es, natural stack
Stack (geology)
A stack is a geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, isolated by erosion. Stacks are formed through processes of coastal geomorphology, which are entirely natural. Time, wind and water are the only factors involved in the...
s and tin-mining adit
Adit
An adit is an entrance to an underground mine which is horizontal or nearly horizontal, by which the mine can be entered, drained of water, and ventilated.-Construction:...
s. There is a youth hostel
Youth Hostels Association (England & Wales)
The Youth Hostels Association is a charitable organisation, registered with the Charity Commission, providing youth hostel accommodation in England and Wales...
above the cliffs at Droskyn Point. Nearby is the 19th century Droskyn Castle, formerly a hotel and now divided into apartments.
Southwest of Perranporth, the coast becomes more rocky with cliffs rising to approximately 232 feet (90 metres) at Cligga Head. These cliffs form the Cligga Head SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
), noted for its geological
Geology of Cornwall
The Geology of Cornwall is dominated by its granite backbone, part of the Cornubian batholith, formed during the Variscan orogeny. Around this is an extensive metamorphic aureole formed in the mainly Devonian slates that make up most of the rest of the county...
and biological
Flora and fauna of Cornwall
Cornwall is the county that forms the tip of the southwestern peninsula of England; this area has a mild and warm climate regulated by the Gulf Stream...
interest.
Annual events
Perranporth hosts an inter-Celtic festival each October, Lowender Peran, drawing people in from Cornwall and the other five Celtic nationsCeltic nations
The Celtic nations are territories in North-West Europe in which that area's own Celtic languages and some cultural traits have survived.The term "nation" is used in its original sense to mean a people who share a common traditional identity and culture and are identified with a traditional...
.
Sports
SurfingSurfing
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...
is very popular in Perranporth with its long sands and beach break, the surf life saving club and hosting a triathlon event every autumn. The beach is also a popular destination for Kite Surfing enthusiasts.
Notable people
These include motor engineer and designer Donald HealeyDonald Healey
Donald Mitchell Healey CBE was a noted English rally driver, automobile engineer, and speed record holder.- Early life :...
(who opened the first garage/petrol station in the village in 1919; a nearby cider farm run by a grandson of his has a detailed graphic display about his life) and the author Winston Graham
Winston Graham
Winston Mawdsley Graham OBE was an English novelist, best known for the The Poldark Novel series of historical fiction.-Biography:...
(who lived in Perranporth for many years and whose Poldark
Poldark
Poldark is a BBC television series based on the novels written by Winston Graham which was first transmitted in the UK between 1975 and 1977.-Outline:...
novels are based on the area).