ISLANDMAGEE

Looking at the map of County Antrim to the north of Whitehead you will notice what looks like a lobster claw stretching northwards to just across the way from Larne and almost enclosing Larne Lough.  This is the peninsula known as Islandmagee, a strip of land characterised by quiet villages and beautiful coastline inhabited by seabirds such as Kittiwakes and Guillemots.

The eastern coast of Islandmagee is the most dramatic, since it faces onto the Irish Sea.  In 1902 a local civil engineer, Dean Berkeley Wise, opened The Gobbins Cliff Path, stretching for nearly 3 miles and following the line of the limestone Gobbin cliffs, over 200 feet high in places.  The path became an instant hit with tourists but fell into disrepair during World War II.  Now there is a Visitor Centre where supervised cliff walks can be booked, with safety helmets provided.  The walk, as well as being spectacular in itself, offers wonderful views across the sea to Scotland.  Would-be visitors reading this during this month of December should note that the path is now closed until April 2018.

At the northeastern end of the peninsula, near the village of Mullaghboy, is the delightfully named Portmuck, reached by a steep, twisting road.  Do not be put off by the name though, as this is a beautiful spot with a bijou little harbour sporting lovely views of the Antrim coast.  The National Trust, who manage this stretch of coast, have come up with a couple of walking trails for visitors to enjoy.  For further information follow this link.  A tombolo, or sandbar, links the peninsula to Muck Island, although access is forbidden due to it being a nature reserve.  Portmuck used to be the haunt of smugglers, and a reminder of this time is a 'horse cave' where smugglers used to hide their horses. At the northernmost tip of Islandmagee is Skernaghan Point, which can be approached via a walking trail.

Map of the area.

The Gobbins - Islandmagee, Northern Ireland, UK - August 24, 2017 - 04. Photo by Giorgio Galeotti, via Wikimedia Commons.

SENNEN

When I was growing up in Cornwall Sennen was one of my favourite places to go to the beach, with the long sweeping sands of Whitesands Beach backed by sheltered dunes.  Sennen is one of Cornwall’s most popular surfing spots, and not wanting to miss out on the action, I acquired a polystyrene child’s surfboard which was meant to be used lying down.  However one day, in a fit of surfing dude envy, I decided I was going to stand on it and it promptly broke, and that, sadly, was the end of my surfing ambitions.

The village itself is small, with a pub and a small collection of cafes and shops, and a gallery which occupies a building known as the Roundhouse, a distinctive round building which was erected in 1876 to house a large capstan wheel which was previously open to the elements.  And the elements here can be dramatic, given Sennen’s exposed location at the end of the country.  In February 2014 the village was battered by a monster storm during which massive waves up to 200 feet crashed over the shore.  Follow this link for footage of the action.  Up the hill from the village is another pub called the First And Last Inn which is famous for being haunted by a landlady from the 1800s called Annie George.  She was left to drown on the beach after giving evidence of the actions of a notorious local smuggler.  She has been seen roaming the corridors and in her old bedroom, and other manifestations include glasses moving of their own accord.  Sennen was a hive of smuggling activity at that time, when ‘wreckers’ would lure ships to the rocks, kill the crew and loot the cargo.  Tunnels at the pub were used to conceal the contraband.

From Sennen, the South West Coast Path heads past the Mayon Old Coastguard Lookout, and barely a mile further on we come to Land’s End, which is where I started this blog in January 2011!  But don’t go away, because there’s still the Scillies and the coast of Northern Ireland to come.

Map of the area.

Live streaming webcam of the beach.

NEWQUAY

A glance at the 1967 edition of the Ward Lock Red Guide to North Cornwall reveals that in those days the nightlife in Newquay included dancing at the Blue Lagoon and Olde Tyme Music Hall at the Newquay Theatre.  Licensing hours in those days were 10.30 to 3.00 and 6.00 to 10.30 (12.00 to 2.00 and 7.00 to 10.30 on Sundays).  The town was described as “a bright and cheerful town possessing all the ingredients for a healthy, happy and interesting holday”.  Sadly, by the first decade of the present century Newquay had become a magnet for hedonistic teenagers fresh out of school, hell-bent on downing as much alcohol as their young bodies could take and more.  The resort possibly reached its nadir in 2009 with the launch of  “Newquay’s Biggest Bar Tour” which offered, for £16 a ticket, an alcohol-fuelled tour of some of the town’s rowdiest pubs.  On one particular night there were reports of a quiet residential street being invaded by hundreds of drunks committing lewd acts and terrorising the residents with their appalling behaviour.  This was also the year when two inebriated teens fell to their deaths from the clifftops in two separate incidents, almost inevitable given the town’s position strung out along the top of some very tall cliffs – part of its appeal along with the extensive sandy beaches.  

Needless to say, this situation could not be allowed to continue, and recently there have been encouraging signs of efforts to clean up the town’s image.  For example, clothing deemed to be offensive, such as the repulsive ‘mankini’, have been banned as part of a code of conduct for the Pubwatch scheme, which also covers the carrying of weapons and antisocial behaviour.  Which is good news, because Newquay has all the makings of the perfect resort, with something for everyone.  For the kids there is Newquay Zoo, with over 130 species ranging from cuddly favourites such as red pandas and meerkats to larger beasts such as African lion and zebra.  Trenance Gardens includes a boating lake, and the Blue Reef Aquarium has an underwater see-through tunnel.  Newquay boasts some of the country’s best surfing beaches, and there have been numerous international surfing competitions held there over the years.  Fistral Beach, which hosts some of the Boardmasters activities (see previous post)  is the main beach for surfing, and must rank as one of the best in Europe, if not the World.

One of Newquay’s best known landmarks is the tiny island just offshore, connected to the mainland by a private suspension bridge, and with a house proudly perched on top.  The house is currently available as a holiday let, but you’d have to be a banker or a politician to afford it – even in low season it costs nearly £2000 for a week for 6 people – mind, that does include a fully equipped bar, possibly a bit risky given the sheer drop down to the beach.  As for the suspension bridge, getting the luggage across to the property could prove interesting, and of course the guests would have to put up with the late-night parties on the beach below, which is apparently what drove the former owners, Lord and Lady Long, to put the house up for sale.  Another distinctive little building in the area is the Huer’s Hut, overlooking the bay on Towan Head, a reminder, along with the nearby harbour, of Newquay’s past as a fishing port.  The hut was used as a lookout where men would scan the sea for shoals of pilchards.  Just to the west of here, the Tea Caverns were excavated by miners in search of metal ores, and they were also used by smugglers for hiding contraband.

For a list of events in Newquay, see the Visit Newquay website. 

Live streaming webcam of Towan Beach, courtesy of the Newquay Activity Centre.

Map of the area.

Newquay harbour town. Photo by jayniebell, via Wikimedia Commons.

PORTHCOTHAN

The beach at Porthcothan is backed by dunes and is popular with families, although care needs to be taken due to the strength of the currents.  At low tide, when the beach expands in size considerably, the tide comes in rapidly.  Facilities include a store, a car park with public toilets, and a surf school.  Smuggling used to be rife here, and a reminder of those days remains in the form of Will’s Rock, a rock stack at the end of one of the headlands overlooking the beach.  The story goes that smugglers left a man from the Revenue on the rock to drown in the rising tide.  However the man, Will, survived to tell the tale.  On the other side of the beach are some double rock stacks.  One of these, known as Jan Leverton’s Island (I have been unable to find out why – answers on a postcard) used to be a single large rock with a pair of  “windows” going through it, but the section containing the windows was knocked out by storm waves, leaving a stack on either side.  There is also a collapsed cave with openings onto the beach and the end of the headland, big enough to scramble through at low tide.   Nearby Park Head is the site of an Iron Age fort.  Fans of Poldark may recognise the beach at Porthcothan, since it was used in the BBC production to represent Nampara Cove near Ross Poldark’s home.

There has been a battle brewing over the management of the beach at Porthcothan.  Apparently in late 2014 some locals rerouted a stream in an attempt to protect the Porthcothan sand dunes.  A noble cause one would suppose, but unfortunately they neglected to get permission from the Council or the Marine Management Organisation.  This infuriated some of the other residents, who wanted to enlist the help of experts before wading in and taking action to manage the site.  A salutary lesson for anyone tempted to take such matters into their own hands.

Map of the area. 

Porthcothan Beach - geograph.org.uk - 314462. Photo by Tony Atkin, via Wikimedia Commons.

TREBARWITH STRAND

Trebarwith Strand was a favourite landing place for smugglers bound for Jamaica Inn, bringing brandy and other contraband.  They may have made use of the caves backing the long stretch of white sand which makes this spot so popular with present-day visitors.  The beach is backed by cliffs, from where slate was once quarried, and there are waterfalls tumbling down towards the sea.  On the horizon is a large lump of rock known as Gull Rock.  The beach is popular with bodyboarders and surfers, and there is gear available to hire as well as a surf school.  Anyone entering the water here should heed the signs warning of potential danger, including the danger of being swept off the rocks by the powerful waves prevalent on this stretch of coast.  There is car parking and a pub with accommodation for anyone wanting to stay overnight, with the chance to experience the wonderful sunset.  Up above the beach is the Trebarwith Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with bluebell woods and a nature trail.  It made the news in 2014 with reports that Prince Charles was selling the valley, complete with an engine house and a waterfall, for £40,000.

Map of the area. 

The Beach at Trebarwith Strand - geograph.org.uk - 487105. Photo by John Lucas, via Wikimedia Commons.

WIDEMOUTH BAY

Cornish pirates once held sway with a reign of terror here in Widemouth Bay.  The 14^th century was a particularly turbulent time, with groups of robbers and pirates at each others’ throats.  Even the local vicar in the nearby village of Poundstock was embroiled in one of the gangs, a fact which resulted in a grisly end when he was murdered by a band of intruders to his church just after Christmas 1357.  His ghost is rumoured to haunt the area still.  Smuggling was also rife, helped along by the numerous isolated inlets and coves in the area.

All these nefarious activities are forgotten today, as Widemouth Bay proves a magnet for beachgoers, surfers and walkers alike.  There is plenty of interest on the beach itself, with a mix of wide stretches of sand, interesting rock formations and rock pools.  On a sunny day it is worth lingering into the evening, as the sunsets here are legendary.  Bathers should take care as the tide comes in very quickly; in the summer there are lifeguards on duty.  For water sports enthusiasts, as well as the obligatory surfing, there is sailing, windsurfing and canoeing.  The beach is backed by a village of low-slung buildings with a small selection of shops, cafes and holiday accommodation.

Live streaming webcam views of the surf, from Zuma Jay website.

Map of the area. 

Widemouth Sand - geograph.org.uk - 1737611. Photo by Rob Noble, via Wikimedia Commons.