Things To Do In Newquay, Cornwall

The History Of Newquay

The town of Newquay lies on the north coast of Devon in the south of the UK. Towan Blystra (blown sand dune), as Newquay is called in its native Cornish language, began as a fortified cliff settlement. People have probably inhabited the area since the Stone Age.

At the Barrowfields, an open area overlooking the bay of Newquay, archaeologists have found evidence of a Bronze Age settlement. The area has an assortment of ancient burial mounds. A clay urn discovered here contains the remains of a Bronze Age chief dating to 3,500 years ago. Today, the Barrowfields hosts open-air concerts and festivals.

Further evidence of prehistoric life has been found at Porth Island on the outskirts of Newquay, which boasts the giant earthworks of what was once Cornwall’s finest cliff castle.

Newquay developed into a small port town from which fisherfolk landed their catches of herring and pilchards. Records indicate that there was a pier at Newquay from 1396, protecting the small cove below a tiny hamlet. In the 15th Century, a new quay was built and the town acquired its name.

From the Huers’ Hut, which remains perched above the harbour, lookouts would signal (by the “hue and cry” – hence the name) the sighting of a shoal to alert the town’s fleet of fishing boats. There were originally three Huers’ Huts. The one that remains dates to medieval times and was rebuilt in 1835. The locals would supplement their fishing income with a little smuggling and many of the caves along the coastline were used for this purpose.

A fish market has existed at Newquay since the 16th Century. Today the town remains popular with sea fishing enthusiasts and you can sample the local catch at the various fishmongers in Newquay.

The Industrial Revolution transformed Newquay into a commodity port trading in tin, lead and clay. The arrival of the passenger railway in the 1870s transformed the town into a Victorian seaside resort. Today, visitors from London, the West Country, the Midlands and the north approach Newquay across the beautiful Luxulyan Valley and the Goss Moor before being treated to glorious views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Surfing in Newquay

Newquay truly became a surf resort from the 1920s onwards but the surfing explosion in the town really began during the 60s. Surf culture was introduced with the arrival of a group of Australian lifeguards who made Newquay their home in 1962. The Aussie surfing quartet became local celebrities and established the town’s first surfboard in the early 1970s. The boom in surfing continued into the 1980s and beyond. Today’s surfers can choose from nine different beaches at Newquay to ride the world-famous waves. Many of the beaches have surf schools and surf equipment hire outlets. There are surfing competitions and festivals throughout the summer.

Explore the Newquay coastline

Much of the life in Newquay centres around the harbour. The small, traditional quay is also home to one of the quaintest beaches in the South West of England. A visit to the harbour also means a pint at one of the nearby pubs or an opportunity to dine at one of the local restaurants.

Fistral beach is perhaps the most famous in Newquay. Cliffs and sand dunes offer the opportunity for some coastal exploration or simply to soak up the sun on the sandy beach.

There are a number of boat trips you can take from Newquay harbour, including daytime or evening fishing expeditions. Or you could opt for a dolphin-spotting excursion or simply take a sightseeing tour of the beautiful Ceredigion Marine Heritage Coast.

There are lots of lovely coastal walking routes from Newquay. The South West Coast Path passes Newquay as it winds its 630-mile route from Minehead in Somerset to Poole Harbour in Dorset.

For a slightly more adrenaline-fuelled way to explore the coastline, why not try coasteering where you can traverse the seashore, explore gullies and caves and cap it all with a giant leap into the blue waters of the Atlantic?

About Newquay, Cornwall, UK

Newquay is a growing coastal town which has an abundance of things to do, places to see and culture to immerse yourself in. Recently voted the top seaside resort for Brits considering a holiday at home, Newquay has a rich history awash with Cornish tradition, folklore and culture.

Miles of golden sand, stunning routes along the coast and ocean activities mean that much of what Newquay has to offer centres around the sea. But there’s plenty to do inland too and Newquay is a small enough town to explore easily on foot.

Based on the north coast of Cornwall, roughly 12 miles north of Truro, Newquay is best known for its beautiful surf beaches which include Fistral Beach and, Tolcarne and Watergate Bay. It is widely known as the surf capital of the UK and has for the past 20 years hosted a range of international surf competitions including the annual Boardmasters festival. The town is home to many surf shops and board manufacturers and is home to the reef known as Cribbar, which can produce 20 foot waves in the right conditions.

For more than a century the harbour town of Newquay has been a major tourist destination with a population of 25,000 that increases to 100,000 during the summer tourist season. There are 11 beaches located in or close to Newquay and its moderate maritime climate makes it mild in the winter and cooler in the summer making it an ideal destination to visit all year around.

In recent years a partnership has been signed between Cornwall country council, Goonhilly Earth Station and Virgin Orbit which intends to have Newquay operating as a horizontal launch spaceport, launching satellites into space from Newquay Airport.