Towan Head

From Discover Newquay

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Ken Langmaid a Newquay-born resident wrote:

Newquay's chief headland and most interesting physical feature. It projects in a northwesterly direction giving protection to the harbour and bay and providing a magnificent open space for the walker. Towan Head reveals its charms mainly to the explorer on foot. The high ground near the Atlantic Hotel is known as the Beacon. Here is the War Memorial built over a demolished Coast guard lookout. As might be expected from its prominent position, the view from this spot is very extensive. It will be seen that the headland actually consists of two distinct parts - the Beacon sloping down to the cliffs and coves,and the Towan Head itself which is joined on by a narrow neck of land. This neck of land is in fact cut through at one point,and the cutting crossed by a little bridge. Beyond this again a cave pierces from one side to the other and at high tide the sea washes through so that Towan Head is very nearly an island. (a geuine peninsula or presqu'isle). Let us now start at the harbour and explore the coastline in detail. Beyond the North Quay is the Active Promenade and shelter on the site of one of Newquay's old fish cellars. The little cove beyond with the ruins of Good Intent Fish Cellar above has a natural arch and many traces of the former industry in the shape of iron rings in the rocks, cuttings and breakwater. Here is a good place for mussels, while remains of marine organisms from Devonian times can be found as fossils in the calcareous shales. The next tiny cove has steps and a jetty at its mouth. Pleasure boats make use of this landing place when conditions are suitable. Fly Promenade which comes next is the chief resort of anglers. All this part of the coast is much frequented too by skin divers. The steps make access to deep water easy.

The cliffs and slopes behind here as well as in the Harbour itself are beautifully decorated with wild flowers in summer, especially red and white valerian. A couple of varieties flourish here too, namely Senecio Cineraria with its handsome grey foliage and Mathilda Imcana (Stock). The wallflower has established itself in the cliffs, making up a remarkable assemblage of plants.

Steps ascend to the grassy slopes of the Headland below the Atlantic Hotel. A couple of hundred yards farther on a right angle bend in the coastline brings the walker to a dramatic stop by a sheer cliff and a magnificent array of jagged rocks. Just above this point is the ancient Huer's House, whitewashed regularly every year and just as regularly bloackened by the names of sightseers by the end of each season. The climb to the roof up some very narrow steps provides a minor thrill to the young at heart.

A little way past the Huer's hut it is possible to descend the cliff to a rock platform which is enlivened by some deep pools, one in particular - Mow Granite - being very lovely indeed.

The next object of interest is the little cove and series of caves know as the Tea Caverns. They can be reached at low tide by descending a zigzag cliff path which tends to be slippery. At the bottom one has to clamber over the debris of a former cliff fall. The first cave is beyond the ridge on the right. Its entrance contains some large pools which have to be negotiated first. Going in the opposite direction to the left one passes through a natural arch to reach a second tiny cove. The cave on the left has a floor of beautifully polished pebbles.Immediately ahead is the third cave - a creeping hole, narrow, floored with sand, usually with a pool halfway through. Having paddled through in complete darkness one reveals with thankfulness a third cove. Again there is a cave straight ahead which penetrates a considerable distance. Seaward there is a cliff face and 20 feet or so up it can be seen a little hole. A finger-tip climb gets you up there but caution is needed now for the tunnel connects with the roof of the creeping hole. This tunnel continues in the opposite wall of the creeping hole and I have read that there used to be a access by means of a plank. I once saw a boy climb to this second tunnel by hanging on to the roof of the big cave - but I doubt whether many visitors will want to attempt that nightmarish feat.

The connection of these caves with smuggling is so often taken for granted but it would be nice if more evidence could be found to back up the legends. The fact that all the cliffs hereabouts are seamed with silver-lead seems to point to mining rather than smuggling. However it is probable that both trades were carried on simultaneously.

Just beyond here a track descends to one of the many rocky platforms which provide such ideal perches for anglers. The submerged Seal Hole gurgles nearby and air sighs out of tiny holes in the rock, but it is long since seal music was heard hereabouts.

The old Lifeboat House lies ahead on a narrow neck of land. The slipway - which is the steepest in the country - rusts away. When Newquay had a lifeboat here, the launching was one of the great attractions of the district, but alas that excitement is a thing of the past. The boat used to sail around to Towan beach where it was hoisted to a massive carriage and hauled across the sand and up the steep hill by a powerful team of galloping carthorses; then back through the town with the crew still aboard, the envy of all eyes in their red smuggler hats. The rocks at the base of the slipway contain some good crab-holes from which I have extracted many a tasty supper.

The bay between the Lifeboat Slip and the Huer's House is called the Gazzle. Nowadays the shore can only be reached at isolated points but an old picture in my possesion shows the waves breaking in one beautiful unbroken sweep on a long sandy beach. It is interesting to speculate whether further changes to the coastline might eventually restore this long lost beach to Newquay.

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