Porthcothan (, meaning cove of open people) is a coastal village between Newquay and Padstow in Cornwall, England, UK.Ordnance Survey Landranger 200; Newquay, Padstow & surrounding area, 1:50 000. 1988 It is within the civil parish of St Eval.
Porthcothan lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Almost a third of Cornwall has AONB designation, with the same status and protection as a National Park.
The sandy beach is popular with tourists and surfers and is patrolled by lifeguards during the day in the summer; local surf schools sometimes use the beach for tuition. There is a pay-and-display car park and a small grocery shop near the beach. In January 2014, storm Anne reduced a local arch, Jan Leverton's Rock, to rubble.
History As with many coves in Cornwall, Porthcothan has legends of smuggling, and there is a large cave some miles inland that is reputed to have been used to store smuggled goods.
Notable people
Notable former residents include the early science fiction author J. D. Beresford and the playwright Nick Darke. The novelist D. H. Lawrence lived locally at one time, but did not get on with the local populace who accused him of spying during World War I.
See also
Other coastal villages and bays nearby Harlyn Constantine Bay Trevone Treyarnon Carnewas & Bedruthan Steps
Other villages nearby St Merryn
References
External links