GORRAN HAVEN

I have only been to Gorran Haven once. We set out from Mevagissey on a wonderful walk along the South West coastal path, finishing up in Gorran Haven. We were hoping to find a nice little traditional pub to quench our thirst in, but there was no pub in sight. However, there was a beach cafe which did the job nicely.

The village dates from the 13th century, and there is a lovely, safe sandy beach partly facing onto the ancient harbour wall. Towering over all of this is the majestic Dodman Point, 400 feet high and once an Iron Age fort. This headland, like so many others in Cornwall, has seen more than its fair share of shipwrecks over the years, so much so that in the late 1800s a local clergyman erected a granite cross on it to act as a warning to shipping. Sadly, this did not prevent a number of further maritime tragedies, including the sinking of two warships and a pleasure boat.

Map of the area.

Gorran Haven - geograph.org.uk - 1463761. Photo by Tony Atkin, via Wikimedia Commons.