Watergate Bay Explained

Watergate Bay (Cornish: '''Porth Tregoryan'''|label=[[Standard Written Form]], meaning cove at Coryan's farmstead/village) is a long bay or beach flanked by cliffs centred two miles NNE of Newquay below the B3276 Newquay to Padstow road near the hamlet of Tregurrian in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It faces the Atlantic Ocean, adjacent to Newquay Bay. The 2miles sandy beach and exposed site is popular for non-powered water sports, kite flying,^[1] and sand art.

Since May 2007, Watergate Bay hosts the English Nationals Surfing Championships.^[2]

Watergate Bay Hotel

The Watergate Bay Hotel first opened in July 1900.^{[3] [4]} The Hotel was designed by architect Joshua Harrison Goodland. The Hotel hoped to cater for railway tourists that were expected to arrive on the Padstow, Bedruthan & St.Mawgan Railway line, which would also extend to Newquay however the line was never constructed.^{[5] [6]} Prior to this it was farmland.

Cornish wrestling

Cornish wrestling tournaments, for prizes, were held in Watergate Bay in the 1900s for the "Burnaby Cup".^{[7] [8]}

See also Cornish wrestling at Tregurrian.

Film, TV and radio

Watergate Bay has been used as a location for the following productions:

• The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (1999)
• Plunge (2003),^[9] a surf movie featuring Kate Winslet.
• Echo Beach (2008),^[10] a 12-part TV series that was filmed during the summer of 2007 featuring Jason Donovan and Martine McCutcheon.
• Moving Wallpaper (2008), a behind-the-scenes comedy following the making of Echo Beach.^[11]
• BBC Radio 4's Open Country produced a 30-minute BBC Radio Documentary about the bay.^[12]

External links

• BBC Cornwall: Watergate Bay Webcam

50.4667°N -8°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Watergate Bay: The Best Kitesurfing Spot In Cornwall. 2021-07-29. www.cswatersports.com.
2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/content/articles/2007/04/05/englishnationalspreview_feature.shtml BBC - Cornwall - Surfing & extreme sports - English Nationals Preview
3. Web site: The history of Watergate Bay. 2021-03-30. www.watergatebay.co.uk.
4. Web site: Customer Profile: Watergate Bay Hotel. 2021-03-30. Origin Coffee.
5. Web site: The history of Watergate Bay. 2021-03-30. www.watergatebay.co.uk.
6. Web site: Customer Profile: Watergate Bay Hotel. 2021-03-30. Origin Coffee.
7. St. Austell Star, 31 August 1911.
8. Boxing World and Mirror of Life, 23 August 1913.
9. https://us.imdb.com/title/tt0400739/ Plunge: The Movie from the Internet Movie Database
10. https://us.imdb.com/title/tt1058915/ Echo Beach from the Internet Movie Database
11. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a62741/echo-beach-and-moving-wallpaper-lineup-revealed.html Moving Wallpaper from the Digital Spy website
12. https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/opencountry.shtml BBC Radio 4's Open Country.(17 February 2007)