![]() Waves Breaking on the Beach at Portreath The early evening light shows off the waves crashi.... Enlarge |
![]() Rought Water And Pier Heavy seas hitting the pier at Portreath. The hist.... prints available Enlarge |
![]() Portreath Harbour Early evening at Portreath harbour on a windy day .... Enlarge |
![]() Gull Rock at Portreath This image of Gull Rock in the setting sun is inst.... Enlarge |
![]() Portreath Pier in the Evening This almost surreal photograph of Portreath Pier w.... Enlarge |
![]() Pensive Surfer at Portreath This would be surfer had no idea we were taking hi.... Enlarge |
![]() Gull Rock in the Setting Sun Gull rock at Portreath is the subject of a great m.... prints available Enlarge |
Portreath Surfer Person surfing at Portreath with the harbour wall .... Enlarge |
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High Tide Rough seas during sunset at Portreath. Portreath h.... prints available Enlarge |
Body Boarding A drop-knee body boarder at Portreath. Although th.... Enlarge |
Evening Light Warm evening light on the cliffs at Portreath. Thi.... Enlarge |
![]() Setting Sun Sunset at Portreath with Gull Rock in the foregrou.... Enlarge |
![]() Portreath Sunset Sunset from the Lighthouse Hill side of Portreath..... Enlarge |
![]() Portreath Sunset Portreath is one of the best places to watch the s.... Enlarge |
![]() Sunset Over Gull Rock The late stages of the setting sun over Gull Rock..... Enlarge |
![]() Spring Light Portreath Beach on a warm spring day..... Enlarge |
![]() Surf Lifesaving Portreath Surf Lifesaving Club..... Enlarge |
![]() Portreath The harbour wall at Portreath is a popular surfing.... Enlarge |
![]() Pebbles Pebbles on the beach at Portreath. Portreath beach.... Enlarge |
![]() Looking Out Over Portreath Portreath as seen from Tregea Hill. Tregea Hill is.... Enlarge |
Portreath is a small resort located about 5 miles north of Redruth. It was once a busy port, importing coal and exporting copper but today only the occasional fishing boat shelters in its very narrow harbour. Copper ore was at one time transported from mines in the Chacewater area. Horse-drawn wagons were originally used for this task and the ore was then shipped by the ton to Swansea for smelting. On the return journey the ships would be laden with Welsh coal. The narrow harbour entrance was difficult and tremendous skill must have been needed to navigate sailing ships into and out of the port. Some of the ships would be carrying well over a hundred tons of ore.
At Portreath there is a lovely sandy beach with a stream running down to the sea on the left hand side. The beach is very popular with families and like many beaches on the north Cornish coast Portreath is also very popular with surfers. Bodyboarders arrive at high tide on big swells to surf the harbour wall, or Vortex, as it is known. At low tide there are rock pools to explore and a fairly large natural swimming pool in the rocks. Gull Rock sits majestically in the sea and has been the subject of many photographs over the years and a variety of sea birds have made the rock their home
Portreath has a small assortment of shops and cafés but it is the holiday trade which is now the bread and butter of the area.. The village is very welcoming and caters for most of the needs of tourist but it is not over commercialised.
Parts of the old tram- road that was once used for transporting ore from the mines has now been made into cycle paths and today it possible to cycle from Portreath on the north coast to Devoran on the south coast.
During the season the beach is cleaned daily and dogs are banned on the beach from Easter Day to 1st October each year
Photographic Print / Prints of Portreath