Maenporth ( kw, Meyn Borth, meaning ''stones cove'') is a cove and beach in west

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, England. It is situated approximately two miles (3 km) south-southwest of Falmouth on the estuary of the

River Fal The River Fal ( kw, Dowr Fala) flows through Cornwall, England, rising at Pentevale on Goss Moor (between St. Columb and Roche) and reaching the English Channel at Falmouth. On or near the banks of the Fal are the castles of Pendennis and ...

. Maenporth cove faces east across Falmouth Bay with views towards

Pendennis Castle Pendennis Castle (Cornish: ''Penn Dinas'', meaning "headland fortification") is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII near Falmouth, Cornwall, England between 1540 and 1542. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect agai ...

and the lighthouse on

St Anthony Head St Anthony Head is a National Trust property situated at the southernmost tip of the Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, overlooking the entrance to one of the world's largest natural harbours: Carrick Roads and the estuary o ...

. The

South West Coast Path The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Because it rises a ...

runs through Maenporth. Behind the cove, wetland supports varied birdlife including the

grey heron The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern ...

and the little egret. The beach shelves gently and at

low water Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ca ...

leaves an area of shallow water that is safe for swimming. The beach has facilities for launching boats,

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

and sea kayaking. Other facilities include car parking, a cafe and public toilets. On the hill above the beach is modern holiday accommodation in the Maenporth Estate. Neighbouring beaches include Swanpool and

Gyllyngvase Gyllyngvase (; kw, An Gilen Vas, meaning ''the shallow inlet'') is one of the four beaches associated with Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom, west of Pendennis Castle. It is to the south of Falmouth town centre, but was an essentially rural ...

History

The beach head has been built up by Easterly weather, and covers a previous natural harbour and human activity. The heritage environment record indicates a forest terrain beneath the sandy beach. A total of seven Bronze age Tumuli in the area have been identified by aerial surveys, suggesting a significant settlement and trading base in middle to late Bronze age. Well sheltered for vessels against Westerly weather, and probably navigable in the two flooded valleys above the beach head, the likely trading commodity was tin, brought overland from the west. Sand obstructs the harbour entrance, thought to be on the South end of the inlet, where a more recent stone quay is now obscured by blown sand. A trackway of this period routes West, past the creeks and riverhead of Helford, towards Helston and Penzance. A small cove on the south side is known as Silly Billy beach, allegedly named after William 4th, relating to an unknown incident. Coastal vessels discharged here in the 19th century, and sand barges collected sand for building and agricultural purposes. (local folk law) In the early 20th century, there was a chemical works based here.Ward, C. S. & Baddeley, M. J. B. (1908) ''South Devon ... and South Cornwall ...''. (Thorough Guide Series; VII.) London: Thomas Nelson & Sons; pp. 176-77 On the night of 30 December 1978, the Scottish trawler ''

Ben Asdale ''Ben Asdale'' was a Scottish trawler that was wrecked in December 1978 near Falmouth, Cornwall. On the evening of 30 December 1978, the freezer trawler ''Ben Asdale'' was off-loading fish into the hold of the Russian factory ship ''Antarktik ...

'' was wrecked off Maenporth in a heavy easterly gale, on the North escarpment, adjacent to a rock called the Devil's Eye. The latter is now eroded, but once had a hole in the shalestone rocks. Substantial remains of the trawler are still visible.

References

{{Cornwall, state=collapsed Villages in Cornwall Beaches of Cornwall Populated coastal places in Cornwall Mawnan