Porthcothan
| |
|---|---|
| Porthcothan beach looking down from the north at low tide, towards the former Arch rock | |
Location within Cornwall | |
| OS grid reference | SW8574572018 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PADSTOW |
| Postcode district | PL28 |
| Dialling code | 01841 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Cornwall |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Porthcothan (Cornish : Porthkehodhon) [1] is a coastal village between Newquay and Padstow in Cornwall, England, UK. [2] It is within the civil parish of St Eval.
Porthcothan lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Almost a third of Cornwall has AONB designation, with the same status and protection as a National Park.
The sandy 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. There is a pay-and-display car park and a small grocery shop near the beach. In January 2014, storm Anne reduced a local arch, Jan Leverton's Rock, to rubble. [3] [4]
As with many coves in Cornwall Porthcothan has legends of smuggling, and there is a large cave some mile inland that is reputed to have been used to store the smuggled goods. [5]
Notable former residents include the early science fiction author J. D. Beresford [6] and the playwright Nick Darke. [7] The novelist D. H. Lawrence lived locally at one time, but did not get on with the local populace who accused him of spying during World War I. [5] [6]
Media related to Porthcothan at Wikimedia Commons