Perranporth

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 50.3437
longitude= -5.1546
official_name= Perranporth
population = 3,066
shire_district= Carrick
shire_county= Cornwall
region= South West England
Ambulance= South Western
Police= Devon & Cornwall Constabulary
Fire= Cornwall Fire & Rescue
constituency_westminster= Truro & Falmouth
post_town= Perranporth|postcode_district = TR6
postcode_area= TR |dial_code= 01872
os_grid_reference= SW756540

Perranporth ( _kw. Porthpyran) is a popular surfing tourist destination on the north coast of Carrick, Cornwall, UK, six miles south-west of the surf resort of Newquay and six miles east of that at Porthtowan. The village has a fine links golf course. The village has a civil airfield suitable for visitors arriving by private plane. Perranporth has a population of 3,066. [ [http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=10779 Cornwall County Council Statistics] ]

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, along with neighbouring breaks at Newquay, Chapel Porth and Porthtowan. At low tide the sands extend up to Ligger Point, 2 miles (3 km) to the north.

The author Winston Graham lived in Perranporth for many years and his famous Poldark novels, which were televised, starring Robin Ellis and Angharad Rees as Ross and Demelza, are based on the history of the area and its local families. "Hendrawna Sands" in the novels is Perranporth beach.

Masterchef host John Torode and Rolf Munding are developing a gastronomically ambitious restaurant at Seiners on the beach where Alex Lawson (nee George), formerly of the Blue Bar in Porthtowan will be the manager. Mr. Torode and Mr. Munding founded the upscale restaurant Smiths of Smithfield in The City of London.

Perranporth hosts a popular inter-Celtic festival each October, Lowender Peran, drawing people in from all six of the Celtic nations.

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.

There is a fine links golf course on the sand dunes overlooking the village.

The sand dunes (Penhale Sands) adjacent to the northern part of the beach are used for orienteering championships. There is also 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 .

The village's name is Cornish for "Saint Piran's cove". Saint Piran is the patron saint of Cornwall and his white-on-black cross features on the county's flag.

It is believed that Saint 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.

During the 1999 eclipse Perranporth was the one of the places in the country that was known to have a clear view of totality.

References

External links

* [http://www.perranporthinfo.co.uk/ Perranporth Tourist Information Centre]
*
* [http://www.an-daras.com/lp/lp_intro.htm Lowender Peran (Inter-Celtic festival)]
* [http://cornovia.org.uk/htexts/collins01.html St. Piran's Oratory - Morley B Collins, 1910]
* [http://crocat.cornwall.gov.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqSearch=((text)='perranporth') Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Perranporth]
* [http://www.ianlewis147.com/024_perranporth_04.09.07/index.html Photographs taken at Perranporth by Cornwall resident Ian Lewis - 4th September 2007]