THE five-and-a-half miles of coastline from Harlyn Bay to Porthcothan Bay forms part of the St Merryn parish, with the parish council saying it features “some of the most dramatic cliffs and beautiful beaches in Cornwall”. Few would argue with the view of the council. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty where tourism and agriculture are the key industries.

Harlyn, Constantine and St Merryn are the main settlements and the area features numerous holiday parks and campsites. Surfing culture is particularly to the fore at Harlyn and Constantine.

The site of a prehistoric cemetery was discovered at Harlyn at the beginning of the 20th century. The find came about when foundations were being dug for a new house, Tamariska, near the sandy beach.

Waves breaking on the sandy shore at Harlyn on the north coast of Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
Waves breaking on the sandy shore at Harlyn on the north coast of Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

Around 100 Iron Age graves were initially excavated with skeletons and artefacts being uncovered. More graves were subsequently found, putting the total in the region of 130.

The site of the cemetery is listed as an ancient scheduled monument with its stone-lined graves nearly all facing north. Historic England says: “Despite having been partly built on, the prehistoric inhumation cemetery at Harlyn is an incredibly rare monument and its importance for our understanding of prehistoric funeral rites and traditions cannot be overstated.”

The Padstow Lifeboat Station is located on the edge of Mother Ivey's Bay in Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
The Padstow Lifeboat Station is located on the edge of Mother Ivey's Bay in Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

Harlyn, flanked by holiday parks and campsites, has a huge expanse of sand at low tide. Meanwhile, Polventon or Mother Ivey’s Bay has a splendid sandy beach to the west. Mother Ivey was said in legend to be a local wise woman, in other words, a witch, who cursed a family there. The Padstow Lifeboat Station, opened in 2006, stands on the edge of Mother Ivey’s Bay and has a slipway that goes into the sea near the Merope Rocks.

*Andrew Townsend is a journalist and writer. He further explores the county in the informative and entertaining travel book, Cornwall Favourites For One And All!: A Quick Guide To Good Places To Visit Across The County, which is available in print and as an ebook. More details on Andrew’s books and ebooks can be found via this link to his author page on Amazon - https://bit.ly/AndrewTownsendAuthor

Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, a lovely tour around the county, is available as an ebook on Amazon.
Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, providing a lovely armchair tour around the county, is available as a book and an ebook on Amazon. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)