Mawgan Porth

Mawgan Porth Beach (tide in)
Surfers at Mawgan Porth at sunset

Mawgan Porth (Cornish: Porth Maugan, meaning St Mawgan's cove, or Porth Glyvyan, meaning cove of the Gluvian river) is a beach and small settlement in north Cornwall, England. It is situated north of Watergate Bay approximately four miles (6 km) north of Newquay,[1] on the Atlantic Ocean coast.

Mawgan Porth is in the civil parish of Mawgan-in-Pydar at the seaward end of the Vale of Lanherne (or Vale of Mawgan) where the River Menalhyl discharges into the sea. The hamlet consists of a pub, a general store, and several hotels, guest houses and caravan parks.

The sandy beach, backed by dunes with cliffs at each end, is quality-assessed and supervised by lifeguards during the summer. It is a popular surfing location. The South West Coast Path passes behind the beach and the area attracts holiday-makers[2]

History

In the years 1949-52, 1954 and 1974, archaeological excavations revealed a settlement comprising three groups of buildings ('courtyard houses') and a burial ground dating from around 850-1050. Finds included pottery and stone artefacts.[3]

Mawgan Porth is recorded as Porthglyvyan in 1334, Cornish for cove of the little wooded valley river, and later as Porthmaugan in 1755, Cornish for cove of St Mawgan.

The German sculptor Faust Lang lived in Mawgan Porth from 1936 to 1949.

Surfing tragedy

On Sunday 26 October 2014 three surfers, two men and a woman, died after getting into difficulty whilst surfing in the sea off Mawgan Porth beach. Four children in the same group were saved.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 200 Newquay & Bodmin ISBN 978-0-319-22938-5
  2. ↑ "The top 20 beach holidays (in the World)". London: Sunday Times Online. 2007-01-14. Retrieved 2007-07-15.
  3. ↑ Bruce-Mitford, R. Mawgan Porth; a settlement of the Late Saxon Period on the North Cornish Coast: Excavations 1949-52, 1954 and 1974. London: English Heritage ISBN 978-1-85074-613-3 Abstract and download link
  4. ↑ Mawgan Porth beach deaths: Lifeguard cover to be reviewed. BBC News. 27 October 2014

Media related to Mawgan Porth at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 50°28′N 5°02′W / 50.467°N 5.033°W / 50.467; -5.033

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