Perranporth



Perranporth (Porthpyran) is a small seaside resort on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is 6 mi southwest of Newquay and 7 mi northwest of Truro. Perranporth and its 3 mi long beach face the Atlantic Ocean.

Perranporth has a population of 3,066, and is the largest settlement in the civil parish of Perranzabuloe. The parish church is in Perranzabuloe village but there is an Anglican chapel-of-ease in Perranporth dedicated to St Michael which opened in 1872.

The village's name is Cornish for Saint Piran's cove (Saint Piran is one of the patron saints of Cornwall). It is believed that Saint Piran founded a church at Perranzabuloe near Perranporth 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.

History
Perranporth Airfield, originally built during World War II as an RAF fighter station, is now a civil airfield located on the plateau above the cliffs.

Until the 1960s, Perranporth was served by a railway line. Built as the Truro and Newquay Railway, the line ran from Chacewater to Newquay and the principal intermediate stop was Perranporth station.

Geography
Perranporth is centred on a main street, St Piran's Road, which carries the B3285 Newquay to St Agnes road. The village centre has a various shops and cafés including a co-operative store, premier convenience store, the Camelot restaurant and a Wetherspoons bar, as well as six pubs. The long-distance South West Coast Path runs past the village. There is a long-distance coach service provided by National Express (service 316) which runs between London and Perranporth.

Perranporth is a popular family holiday destination. A wide sandy beach, Perran Beach, extends northwest from the town for nearly 2 mi to Ligger Point. The beach faces west onto Perran Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular surfing location. There are lifeguard beach patrols from May to September and the beach is generally safe for bathing although there are dangerous rip currents around Chapel Rock at ebb tides.

At the south end of the beach are cliffs with natural arches, natural stacks and tin-mining adits. There is a youth hostel above the cliffs at Droskyn Point. Nearby is the 19th century Droskyn Castle, formerly a hotel and now divided into apartments.

Protected areas
Perran Beach is backed by extensive sand dunes which extend nearly a mile inland. Known as Penhale Sands, the dunes are used for orienteering competitions and there is an army training camp and a golf course on the dunes. They are also a valuable resource for wildlife with many rare plants and insects including Cornwall's largest colony of the Silver-studded Blue a Red Data Book species.

Southwest of Perranporth, the coast becomes more rocky with cliffs rising to approximately 232 feet (90 metres) at Cligga Head. These cliffs form the Cligga Head SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), noted for its geological and biological characteristics.

Annual events
Perranporth hosts an inter-Celtic festival each October, Lowender Peran, drawing people in from Cornwall and the other five Celtic nations.

Sports
Surfing is very popular in Perranporth with its long sands and beach break, the surf life saving club and hosting a triathlon event every autumn. The beach is also a popular destination for Kite Surfing enthusiasts.

Notable people
These include motor engineer and designer Donald Healey (who opened the first garage/petrol station in the village in 1919; a nearby cider farm run by a grandson of his has a detailed graphic display about his life) and the author Winston Graham (who lived in Perranporth for many years and whose Poldark novels are based on the area).