Perranporth
From Free net encyclopedia
Perranporth is a village on the north coast of Cornwall, England, six miles south-west of Newquay. The village, and its large sandy beach, face the Atlantic, with hundreds of miles of uninterrupted fetch producing large waves, making it one of the most popular surfing destinations in Britain. At low tide the sands extend up to Ligger Point, 3km to the north. The sand dunes (Penhale Sands) adjacent to the northern part of the beach are used for orienteering championships. There is an army training camp here. The southern end of the beach is backed by dramatic cliffs, with natural arches and stacks, and tin-mining adits. This headland is called Droskyn Point, and on top of it is a youth hostel with spectacular views, ideally situated beside the South West Coast Path.
The village's name is Cornish for Saint Piran's cove. Saint Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall. The cross of Saint Piran (white on black) features on Cornwall's flag.
It is believed that St Piran founded the church near to Perranporth (the Lost Church) 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. Plans are now afoot to make it accessible once more.
Perranporth hosts a popular inter-Celtic festival each October, Lowender Peran, drawing people in from all six of the Celtic countries.
Perranporth has a civil airfield.
Perranporth is a popular bucket-and-spade family holiday destination. There is a lifeguard service on the beach from May to September. The beach is generally safe for bathing but there are dangerous rip currents around Chapel Rock on a falling tide.