PENTAWAN SANDS - South Cornwall.
View of the sands looking West
Pentawan Sands, although a private beach, is open to the public and is a classic Cornish beach with golden sands, framed by iconic Cornish cliffs on either side. As you would expect, watersports are the main draw besides sunbathing on those long, warm summer days that we all love.
We did not head directly for Pentawan but ended up there because we did the walk along the St.Austell River starting at the car park some way back on the B3272. The walk is a few miles and skirts the river and the woods alongside down to Pentawan Village, and from there to the beach past the remnants of the now disused harbour. Then starting from the remains of the outer harbour foundations we walked back to the car just as the rain decided to annoint everyone with a dose of rainwater.
The paths are for the most part well kept but you will come across patches of mud here and there so wear footwear for the task, this is because this walk is a favourite for all, especially dog walkers. Pentawan goes back to the Iron-age when a settlement was situated here and remains of huts have been found in the area. The first harbour goes back to 1744 and was then redeveloped in 1818, and reopened in 1826 with the usual exports being Tin, Copper, Clay, coal, limestone, and timber.
If you are interested in the history of this area I can direct you to this excellent site where you may find first-hand recollections about life in the area. The page will open in a new window so you do not lose your spot here.
This is the link you can click on: Cornish Story
I shall leave you with a few photos we took on our walk.
The old lock gates now worn with age
The view East
View of the sands
Photo Gallery for Pentawan sands - click on photo to enlarge, use side arrows in photo when hovered to browse
