Miles of Beaches

Hayle/ St.Ives, Cornwall, England South West

Recommendation added: 25/03/2006 20:24
By: jsimons128 (YSUK rating +88)

jsimons128 has been thanked 3 times for this contribution

"Although Hayle may not have the romantic associates of either, say, St Ives or Mousehole, it is one of the most popular seaside resorts in Cornwall, its miles of unspoiled sandy beach, being probably unsuppressed anywhere in the country.
Moreover, the beach is so level that swimming is usually safe, it is backed by sand dunes that provide shelter from any easterly winds and it faces west to catch as much of the evening sun as possible.
But the town is much younger than many of the villages around here. It was a product of the industrial revolution being built around two large foundries towards the end of the 18th century to exploit the large estuary here and service the tin and copper mines that flourished in this part of the country.
In 1840, a railway line was built to bring ore from the Redruth mines and it was this railway that helped to establish Hayle as a seaside resort, the company starting Sunday school outings and other excursions to allow the miners of Redruth and Camborne and their families to enjoy the beaches here.
The collapse of the copper market towards the end of the 18th century spelled the end of Hayle's own industrial prosperity although traces of the enormous activity that once went on here can still be found.
You can still see, for instance, John Harvey's giant foundry that flourished at Carnsew from 1779 to 1903, as well as his great quay opposite Penpol Terrace.
The estuary of the river Hayle is a favorite spot for bird watching because it attracts so many different species. Some of the birds reside here all the year round while other migrants and can only be seen during certain months. But among those that are regularly seen at Hayle in the summer are black-headed and other gulls cormorants, herons, kingfishers, mute swans, oystercatchers, redshanks, shelducks and terns.
Hayle has a wide variety of shops, hotels, restaurants and self catering accommodation. The main A30 road skirts the river estuary, allowing easy observation of birds, while the RSPB has proved both an information hut (usually manned at weekends and at peak holiday times) and a hide. Best viewing times are within three hours of high tide."