Mawgan Porth


Mawgan Porth is a beach and small settlement in north Cornwall, England. It is situated north of Watergate Bay approximately four miles north of Newquay, on the Atlantic Ocean coast.
Mawgan Porth is in the civil parish of Mawgan-in-Pydar at the seaward end of the Vale of Lanherne where the River Menalhyl discharges into the sea. The hamlet consists of a pub, a general store, and several hotels, guest houses and caravan parks.
The sandy beach, backed by dunes with cliffs at each end, is quality-assessed and supervised by lifeguards during the summer. It is a popular surfing location. The South West Coast Path passes behind the beach and the area attracts holiday-makers

History

In the years 1949-52, 1954 and 1974, archaeological excavations revealed a settlement comprising three groups of buildings and a burial ground dating from around 850-1050. Finds included pottery and stone artefacts.
Mawgan Porth is recorded as Porthglyvyan in 1334, Cornish for cove of the little wooded valley river, and later as Porthmaugan in 1755, Cornish for cove of St Mawgan.
The German sculptor Faust Lang lived in Mawgan Porth from 1936 to 1949.