A city under the SAND

Almost a millennia ago, Crantock was home to a city until landowners brought the wrath of God for their sinless ways. Feed your imagination as well as enjoying the view with this short spring walk

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This short walk offers beautiful views over a tranquil estuary and the sweeping Atlantic coast, as well as the chance to explore the pretty coastal village of Crantock. Children will love the long sandy beach backed by dunes, and the stories of ancient saints arriving on peculiar boats and a wicked population buried in sand!

Boots on, let’s go

1. From the car park entrance, walk back up the road into the village of Crantock. The Cornish coast is full of legends of ancient saints arriving in a variety of unusual vessels to set up hermitages and convert the locals to Christianity. A few miles to the south, St Piran arrived on a millstone from Ireland. Here in Crantock the saint Carantoc is said to have arrived on an altar in the sixth century. Like St Piran, he built an oratory, a simple chapel near a well. The ‘Round Orchard’ in the centre of Crantock village is thought to be the site of this chapel, and in the centre of the village, there is a 17th century well, known as St Carantoc’s Well.

The stained glass windows in the parish church of St Carantoc depict St Carantoc’s life story. The church is Norman, although it was restored at the start of the 20th century, and it is well-known for its woodcarvings.