- Whitsand Bay
Whitsand Bay, situated in south east
Cornwall ,England ,United Kingdom (not to be confused with Whitesand Bay in West Cornwall) runs fromRame Head in the east toPortwrinkle in the west. It is characterised by sheer, high cliffs, dramatic scenery and long stretches of sandy beaches. TheSouth West Coast Path runs the length of the bay.General information
The bay is overlooked by
Rame Head , a conical hill with the ruins of a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St Michael on top. [ [http://www.cornishlight.co.uk/looe-rame.htm From Looe to the The Rame Peninsula the forgotten corner of Cornwall ] ]Polhawn Cove is a rough beach, consisting of sharp rocks, shingle and an area of open sand. West of Captain Blake's Point, long stretches of sand are interspersed with rocky headlands and small bays, many inaccessible at high tide. The holiday settlements ofFreathy andTregonhawke are built on terraces on the cliff faces.A National Trust property at Sharrow Point preserves a small cave excavated by hand in 1874 by a hermit called Lugger, who inscribed verses on the ceiling to relieve his boredom. Lugger's Cave is fenced off to the public. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/3922693.stm BBC NEWS | UK | England | Cornwall | Actor brings famed hermit to life ] ]
A
UK Ministry of Defence firing range exists betweenFort Tregantle at the western end of the bay and Trethill Cliffs nearPortwrinkle , and this area is closed duringFort Tregantle firing range operations. [ [http://www.army.mod.uk/ate/public/southwest.htm Welcome to the new British Army Website - British Army Website ] ]Whitsand Bay is popular with divers, and in 2004 the former
Royal Navy frigate,HMS Scylla (F71) , was scuppered to provide a new underwater reef. [ [http://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/scylla/story.asp NMA - Scylla - Scylla's Story ] ]The Scylla was sunk nearby an existing WWII wreck, the
Liberty Ship "James Eagan Layne"The beach does not have any toilets and access to the beach is steep, narrow and slippery. Whitsand Bay is a popular
surfing spot. Alifeguard service operates between May and September.Parking
Caradon District Council operates pay and display car parks at Sharrow and Tregantle while at Withnoe (or Main Beach), car parking is operated by a farm owner.
afety
There are dangerous
rip currents . The western part of the beach is closed during firing range operation at Tregantle Fort, firing times are indicated by a red flag. The paths to the beaches atSharrow Point ,Withnoe , Tregonhawke and Freathy are steep, narrow and slippery and are not suitable for wheelchairs. There is a risk of being cut off at high tide, so keep close to beach access points.References
External links
* [http://www.westcountryviews.co.uk/coastal/whitsand/whitsand.htm 15 photographs of Whitsand Bay, South East Cornwall at westcountryviews.co.uk]
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