Porthallow
Porthallow
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 Village of Porthallow |
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 Porthallow
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| Porthallow shown within Cornwall | |
| OS grid reference | SW796233 |
| • London | 311 miles |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HELSTON |
| Postcode district | TR12 |
| Dialling code | 01326 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Cornwall |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Porthallow (Cornish: Porthalow) is a small fishing village on the east coast of The Lizard peninsula to the south of the Helford River, in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It sits between the two neighbouring villages of St Keverne and Roskorwell. One road runs through the village, and there is a post office and public house, the Five Pilchards, named for the pilchard fishery. The South West Coast Path passes through Porthallow which lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Porthallow is situated on the east coast of the Lizard peninsula, an area known for its natural history, especially geology and plants. Along the coast, to the north, is Gillan Creek and the Helford River, and to the south is the village of , and offshore The Manacles, a great hazard to shipping and a popular diving site for shipwrecks. The beach is privately owned with access open to all and consists of pebbles at the higher reaches and sand at low tide. It was once the scene of a pilchard fishery.
(Side note: Porthallow Church is located above the sea, on the cliff-top at Talland near Polperro in Cornwall. The altar of the church is said to date from the time of King Mark, of Tristan and Isolde fame, and was built at the junction of ley lines.)
The geology of the Lizard is complex and of great interest to geologists. The peninsula can be divided into two areas, with an irregular boundary running between Polurrian Cove on the west (Mount's Bay) coast and Porthallow in the east. To the north is the Meneage and to the south the Lizard District with the geology differing greatly between the two districts. The coast to the north of the village is designated as a Geological Conservation Review (GCR) site, and to the north and south is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Some 270 Ma years ago when the Lizard rocks were thrust up, the Meneage Crush Zone and Meneage Breccia was formed and the rocks to the north are of thick beds of conglomerates, and a combination of clay slates, mixed with sandstones and grits containing veins of quartz. To the south the rocks are serpentine, gabbro and hornblende schist.
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Wikipedia