Porthtowan
| Porthtowan | |
|---|---|
 Porthtowan Cliffs seen from West Cliff by R. Spence |
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 Porthtowan
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| Porthtowan shown within Cornwall | |
| OS grid reference | SW695475 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | St Agnes |
| Postcode district | TR4 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Cornwall |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
Porthtowan (Cornish: Porth Tewyn, meaning cove of sand dunes) is a small village in Cornwall, England which is a popular summer tourist destination. Porthtowan is on Cornwall's north Atlantic coast about 2 km (1.2 mi) west of St Agnes, 4 km (2.5 mi) north of Redruth, 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Truro and 15 km (9.3 mi) south-west of Newquay in the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, a World Heritage Site.
Porthtowan is popular with surfers and industrial archaeologists; former mine stacks and engine houses dot the landscape.
Porthtowan lies along the 627-hectare (1,550-acre) Godrevy Head to St Agnes heritage coast, which is located on the north Cornwall coast of the Celtic Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. It lies between Godrevy Head (with the Godrevy Towans) and St Agnes Head, north of the village of St Agnes. The Godrevy to St Agnes Heritage Coast has been a nationally designated protected area since 1986. The marine site protects 40 species of mammals and amphibians.
Porthtowan is within walking distance of National Trust coastal and cliff-side walks. Between Porthtowan and Agnes Head is one of Cornwall's "largest remaining heathland[s]." Ironically, the heath survived – and was not turned into arable land – because of the soil contamination of previous mining activities. Few plants or species other than heathers and spiders can thrive in the area's environmental condition.
Its name comes from the Cornish words "porth" and "tewynn" to mean landing place at the sand dunes.
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Wikipedia