TREVOSE Lighthouse was built in 1847 at Trevose Head, to the west of Padstow, and its light can be seen off much of the north coast of Cornwall. The grade II listed building, above Stinking Cove, stands at 27 metres tall and is controlled by Trinity House from Harwich in Essex, having been automated in the mid-1990s.

The coast path in the Trevose Head area can be uneven and steep in places and care needs to be taken around the sheer-sided round hole and the old quarry near Dinas Head. Seals, dolphins and basking sharks are sometimes seen in the waters around here.

The sandy coast path approaching Constantine Bay in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
The sandy coast path approaching Constantine Bay in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

The National Trust has a seasonal car park on the Trevose Headland which is within walking distance of the beach at Booby’s Bay. This beach has no sand at the highest tides, though visitors can still sit on the large rocks. Remains of a wrecked German sailing ship, the Carl, dating from the First World War, can sometimes be seen at Booby’s Bay when the sand gets moved around by the sea. The beach is possibly named after the booby seabird.

Over the years, steps have been taken to conserve the sand dunes at neighbouring Constantine Bay. The dunes form a pleasing backdrop to the sandy beach which is a favoured spot among experienced surfers. Care must be taken in the water because of rip currents, hidden rocks and a shelving shoreline.

Care must be taken in the sea at Constantine Bay in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
Care must be taken in the sea at Constantine Bay in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

Notable visitors to Constantine Bay in the 1980s were Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her husband Denis who would holiday at a property near the west-facing beach and the Trevose Golf and Country Club links course.

Behind the dunes by the beach, the remains of St Constantine’s chapel and holy well can be found on the golf course.

*Andrew Townsend is a journalist and writer. He further explores the county in the 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!, a lovely armchair tour around the county, is available as a book and an ebook on Amazon. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)