Polzeath
OS Grid ref:- SW937788
The small village of Polzeath, 'the thumping heart of cool Cornwall' according to the Sunday Times, is situated on Cornwall's Atlantic coast, just north of the resort town of Padstow and 6 miles (9.7 km) north west of Wadebridge.
The name derives from the Cornish word Polsegh, which means dry creek. Polzeath was once a favourite haunt of the late poet laureate, Sir John Betjeman and is celebrated in some of his verse. He is buried in the nearby St Enodoc Church, at the village of Trebetherick. Another poet, Laurence Binyon composed the Remembrance Day ode For the Fallen in 1914 while sitting on the nearby Rumps.
The village boasts an excellent surfing beach, the Blue Flag beach is a vast expanse of sand which opens into the Atlantic at the mouth of the Camel Estuary and is patrolled in the summer months by lifeguards. Dogs are banned on the beach from Easter Day to 1st October.
Polzeath is split into two parts, the old and the new, both overlooking a magnificent stretch of golden sand. The main street runs along the seafront and has a parade of shops catering for holidaymakers and residents. There are a number of local shops within the village, selling a variety of amenities, there are also pubs, cafés and restaurants to suit all budgets.
Dolphins may sometimes be spotted in the bay and the coastline north of Polzeath is a good area for seeing many types of birds including corn buntings and puffins. The coastal path passes through Polzeath in one direction to Daymer Bay and Rock, and in the other through New Polzeath.
The views from the nearby headland of Pentire Point are excellent, looking north toward spectacular Tintagel Castle and south to Hayle Bay and the Camel Estuary. From Pentire Farm, where cars may be parked, there are very pleasant walks to the Rumps, which lies to the right, or Pentire Point. The Cornwall North Coast Path connects both headlands to form a circular route.
Polzeath is the location for the UK's first Voluntary Marine Wildlife Reserve providing events and activities around the area's unique sea life and promoting an understanding of life at the ocean's edge.
The coastal path passes through Polzeath in one direction to Daymer Bay and Rock, and in the other through New Polzeath, Pentire Point and follows along miles of beauitiful coastline. The coastal footpath between Polzeath and St Enodoc is suitable for wheelchair users.