Penhale Sands
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Dunes at Penhale Sands and Perran Beach
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 Location within Cornwall
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| Area of Search | Cornwall |
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| Grid reference | SW771572 |
| Coordinates | 50°22′22″N 5°08′07″W / 50.3728°N 5.1353°WCoordinates: 50°22′22″N 5°08′07″W / 50.3728°N 5.1353°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 1,070.4 hectares (10.7 km2; 4.13 sq mi) |
| Notification | 1953 |
| Natural England website | |
Penhale Sands (Cornish: Peran Treth, meaning St Piran's sands), or Penhale Dunes, is a complex of sand dunes and a protected area for its wildlife, on the north Cornwall coast in England, UK. It is the most extensive system of sand dunes in Cornwall and is believed to be the landing site of Saint Piran. Dating from the 6th century, St Piran's Oratory is thought to be one of the oldest Christian sites in Britain. The remains were discovered in the late 18th century, and in 2014 the covering sand was removed to reveal a building more than a thousand years old, in a reasonable state of preservation. A restricted military area dating from 1939, Penhale Camp, is found on the northern part of the dunes.
The area has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1953 and became a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in 2004. The South West Coast Path runs through the dunes.
The sands are located 5 miles (8.0 km) south-west of the town of Newquay, in the civil parish of Perranzabuloe, stretching for over 2.5 miles (4.0 km) between Perranporth in the south and Holywell to the north, with the Atlantic Ocean and Perran Beach to the west. The Cornish sand dunes are thought to have formed over 5,000 years ago as sea levels rose to approximately their present levels. Penhale Sands are the largest dune system within Cornwall and has a maximum depth of 48 metres (157 ft) of sand. The system, of over 650 hectares (1,600 acres), extends for more than 1 mile (1.6 km) inland and includes Reen Sands, Gear Sands and Perransands.
The South West Coast Path runs through the dunes.
Penhale Sands and Perran Beach are believed to be the 6th century landing site of Saint Piran from Ireland, regarded the bringer of Christianity to, and the patron saint of Cornwall. On this site, situated in a hollow, St Piran's Oratory was built around this time. It is thought to be the oldest Christian site in Cornwall and one of the oldest in Britain. The church was abandoned in the tenth century due to the encroachment of sand. A replacement church was built further inland and abandoned in 1795. The oratory site was excavated in 1835 and 1843 before the remains were encased in a large concrete structure in 1910. The concrete structure was removed in 1980 and the delicate site buried in sand for its protection. In 2014 the sand was removed to reveal the remains of the church.
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Wikipedia