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Shopping Guide

The town itself is lined with surf shops, gift shops and bakeries (which sell the national food of Cornwall, the pasty. Like a pie it has meat, veg and potato all wrapped in short crust pastry, you just cannot come to Cornwall without having one!). Most of the shops in Newquay are open until late, so you can walk around the town enjoying the mild and sunny evenings.

In and around the town there are supermarkets for you to stock up, if you are self catering, along with fast food outlets and restaurants if you do not feel like cooking. Shopping in Newquay is made more pleasurable by the large pedestrianised shopping centre, always full of life and colour during the summer. All major high street names can be found here, such as Woolworths, along with shops unique to the town.

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Surf and Beach Guide

Firstly, in the summer months, when the town is at its best, are those golden, sandy beaches, all eleven of them. They start at Holywell Bay and stretch as far as Watergate Bay - one the biggest beaches in the Newquay area - once there you can learn to surf, kite board, kite buggy, and even wind surf! Also included among these beaches is the world famous Fistral Bay, home to many surf competitions throughout the year including the Rip Curl Championships, recently upgraded to a five star event, and drawing even more high profile surfers. Of course all the beaches have their own facilities such as toilets, food and drink bars and the all-important lifeguards, all of whom are fully trained and always on the lookout.

The western beaches consist of; Fistral Beach, nearly a mile long, but very crowded during the summer months. S.E. winds are offshore. The north has a good right-hander, with other waves breaking along its length on various banks. Little Fistral is to the south, and when its right, it goes off. The Cribber to the north, breaks into the headland, and is only for the experienced. It needs a big swell and S.E. winds.

Beaches West of Newquay

Crantock is much quieter being less developed, and has a good quality beach break, at its best from low to mid tide. Again, S.E. winds are when it is at its peak, as is Holywell Bay, which has a good to average beach break. At low tide there is a good wave off of a wreck in the middle of the beach. Porth Joke is good when everywhere else is a little too large. It needs a big swell to work well, and is best to visit an hour after high of low tide.

Newquay Town Beaches

There are four town beaches, the Great Western, Tolcarne, the harbour and next to it Towan Beach - very busy as it is the closest to the town, and with little swell. But a S.W. wind can create some fast hollow waves of up to 6 foot, likewise with the Great Western.

Beaches East of Newquay

To the east is Lusty Glaze, a small beach only working when there is a big ground swell at low tide. S.E. to N.E. winds are offshore. Popular with body boarders. Before you get to Lusty Glaze is Porth, a large, busy beach with plenty of facilities. Watergate Bay picks up any swell, working from high to low tide, and is often cleaner than Fistral. It holds big swell and is best when the wind is S.E.

Fistral Surf Report
Newquay Bay Surf Report
Watergate and Mawgan Porth Surf Report
Crantock Surf Report

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Transportation Guide

National Rail Enquiries
www.nationalrail.co.uk

First Great Western
www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk

History of Crantock

Crantock is the site of an altogether much older settlement, Langurroc, which means the “dwelling of the monks”. A college was founded here which could claim as much antiquity as any in Oxford, since it appeared to have great revenues in the Survey of 1294. It closed in 1545.

This Celtic monastery was established before the Norman conquest and was sized by the Count of Montain once they had subdued the nation. His son passed on to the Montacute Priory in Dorset in 1230.

Langurroc, or Langarrow, was an ancient city of great wealth and importance, with several churches and rich inhabitants. Criminals were transported from other parts of Britain to work in the mines here. Not allowed to dwell in the city itself, they lived in wooden huts or caves. Evidence has been fond of wood ashes and the shells of mussels and cockles, which were their food.

The Legend of Crantock

The eventual intermarriage of the convicts with the citizens’ daughters caused the population to sink to the lowest depths of vice. Legend says that the anger of the Lord fell upon them, and a sandstorm was made to blow for three days and nights, completely burying the city and its inhabitants.

If this legend is to be believed, it is curious that the church of St. Enodoc to the east and St. Piran to the west have been dug out of the sand, and significant that the Marram grass that covers the dunes was only introduced into Europe by Sir Walter Raleigh. Without the plant’s stabilising influence, the legend, as far as the sand is concerned, may have some foundation. As it is, it is held today that Crantock was founded by St. Carantacus in the 5th century.

Saint Carantacus

St. Carantacus was the son of a Welsh chieftain who went to Ireland and met St. Patrick where they studied together. After parting, St. Carantoc (as he was now known) came to Cornwall in his coracle (presumably an Irish currah, or leather skinned, long, open canoe) in which he brought an altar stone and pet dove. He landed on the Gannel and the dove picked up a stick in its beak. Upon the spot that it dropped the stick, the saint established his church; the present church is on the same site.

The arrival of St. Carantoc has been celebrated through the ages on his Saint’s Day, 16th May. In mediaeval times seven chapels (probably little shrines) existed. All the churches around brought their relics and put them on the altars and masses were said throughtout the Feast Day.

People may well have used the original route of the monks travelling to the college of Crantock, by following the local crosses or cross-way markers. There are five well known crosses: at Penpol and Trevemper (both of these have their bases in place), Tolcarne, Trerew and Doublestiles.