Maenporth
Encyclopedia
Maenporth is a cove and beach in west Cornwall
, United Kingdom
. It is situated approximately two miles (3 km) south-southwest of Falmouth
on the estuary of the River Fal
.
Maenporth cove faces east across Falmouth Bay with views towards Pendennis Castle
and the lighthouse on St Anthony Head
.
The South West Coast Path
runs through Maenporth. Behind the cove, wetland supports varied birdlife including the Grey Heron
and the Little Egret
.
The beach shelves gently and at low water
leaves an area of shallow water that is safe for swimming. The beach has facilities for launching boats, scuba diving
and sea kayaking. Other facilities include car parking, a cafe and public toilets. On the hill above the beach there is modern holiday accommodation. Neighbouring beaches include Swanpool and Gyllyngvase
.
was wrecked off Maenporth.
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is situated approximately two miles (3 km) south-southwest of Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
on the estuary of the River Fal
River Fal
The River Fal flows through Cornwall, United Kingdom, rising on the Goss Moor and reaching the English Channel at Falmouth. On or near the banks of the Fal are the castles of Pendennis and St Mawes as well as Trelissick Garden. The River Fal separates the Roseland peninsula from the rest of...
.
Maenporth cove faces east across Falmouth Bay with views towards Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle
Pendennis Castle is a Henrician castle, also known as one of Henry VIII's Device Forts, in the English county of Cornwall. It was built in 1539 for King Henry VIII to guard the entrance to the River Fal on its west bank, near Falmouth. St Mawes Castle is its opposite number on the east bank and...
and the lighthouse on St Anthony Head
St Anthony Head
St Anthony Head is a National Trust property situated at the southernmost tip of the Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, overlooking the entrance to one of the world's largest natural harbours: Carrick Roads and the estuary of River Fal...
.
The South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
runs through Maenporth. Behind the cove, wetland supports varied birdlife including the Grey Heron
Grey Heron
The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions...
and the Little Egret
Little Egret
The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....
.
The beach shelves gently and at low water
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
leaves an area of shallow water that is safe for swimming. The beach has facilities for launching boats, scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
and sea kayaking. Other facilities include car parking, a cafe and public toilets. On the hill above the beach there is modern holiday accommodation. Neighbouring beaches include Swanpool and Gyllyngvase
Gyllyngvase
Gyllyngvase is one of the four beaches associated with Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom, south of Pendennis Castle.It is to the south of Falmouth town centre, but was an essentially rural area as recently as the late 19th century...
.
History
There was once a chemical works here. On the night of the 30 December 1978, the Scottish trawler Ben AsdaleBen Asdale
Ben Asdale was a Scottish trawler that was wrecked in December 1978 near Falmouth, Cornwall.On the evening of 30 December 1978 the freezer trawler Ben Asdale was off loading fish into the hold of the Russian factory ship Antarktika , which was anchored in Falmouth Bay. A force eight gale was...
was wrecked off Maenporth.