Chapel Porth is on Cornwall's rugged north coast which is dominated by granite cliffs, though there are vast sandy beaches at low tide. The Atlantic rollers provide a ready attraction for surfers.

Tags:   Cornwall north Cornish coast cliffs coast sandy beaches Porth Chapel Porth

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It's always amusing to see a toddler getting one of their first glimpses of the sea, and having a little paddle at the water's edge.

St Ives in the far west of Cornwall just has to be one of my favourite places. Famous for its artists' colony, it has three superb sandy beaches, a delightful harbour and lots of quirky narrow streets and alleys. There's the Tate St Ives Gallery, as well.

The stone pier at St Ives was designed by the famous civil engineer John Smeaton and dates from 1770. He also designed the third Eddystone lighthouse in 1759. It was dismantled in the late 1870s because the rock on which it was built cracked. It was rebuilt on the top of Plymouth Hoe, and is known as Smeaton's Tower.

Tags:   Cornwall St Ives harbours sea coast sandy beaches St Ives harbour small boats fishing boats

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Bedruthan Steps are on the north coast of Cornwall between Newquay and Trevose Head. The name Bedruthan Steps is said to be taken from a mythological giant called 'Bedruthan' who used the rocks (stacks) on the beach as stepping stones, and seems to be a late nineteenth century invention for Victorian tourists. The first written record of the name is from the West Briton newspaper in February 1847 and is likely to refer to one of two cliff staircases used by miners to get to the mine workings below. It now refers to the whole beach.

Tags:   Cornwall north Cornwall Bedruthan Steps coast beaches cliffs

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The unusually named Parish Church of Saint Materiana at Tintagel stands on the cliffs between Trevena and Tintagel Castle on the north coast of Cornwall and is Grade I-listed. The existing church dates from the Norman era though the tower dates from the 14th century. The battlements were added in the 15th. The churchyard is unusually large for a Cornish church, though it has apparently been extended three times.

Like many other English churches, there was a major restoration in the late 19th century when a new roof was installed. New stained glass was also installed in several windows.

St Materiana at Tintagel is regarded by Simon Jenkins as one of England's Thousand Best Churches.

Tags:   Cornwall Tintagel Church of St Materiana, Tintagel England's Thousand Best Churches churches medieval buildings Explored

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Chapel Porth is on the north coast of Cornwall, just to the south-west of St Agnes. At low tide a large sandy beach is revealed, and this provides access to a number of caves at the base of the cliffs. Here, too, are several entrances to old tin mines, long since abandoned. This shot from inside a cave was taken by Judy with her i-Phone. I've tidied it up in Photoshop.

Tags:   Cornwall Chapel Porth sandy beaches low tide caves north coast of Cornwall

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