Gwithian

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Gwithian is a coastal village situated three miles northeast of Hayle and four miles east of St Ives across St Ives Bay. Gwithian has a pub, The Red River Inn (formerly the Pendarves Arms) that takes its name from the nearby Red River. The river is aptly named due to the red colouration of the water caused by mining effluent. Gwithian is in the civil parish of Gwinear-Gwithian. The church and relics of St Gwithian or Gocianus, built in 490, were uncovered from the beach and dunes during the early part of the last century, but have subsequently been reclaimed by the shifting sands. St Gwithian is the patron saint of good fortune on the sea. The current church was established further inland in the 15th century but only a few fragments of this building remain incorporated in the lychgate of Edmund Sedding's church of 1866 (the tower is original one of the 15th cent.) Gwithian was home of the last ‘monoglot’ Cornish speaker Chesten Marchant, who died in 1676. A short distance to the east of the village is Gwithian Towans, which is an area of coastal dune land that cover the site of a Bronze Age farm which has been excavated although no remains are visible. Gwithian Beach stretches three miles from the Hayle River mouth to the Red River mouth at Godrevy. The beach is popular throughout the year with surfers, windsurfers, and other beachsports enthusiasts. Gwithian beach is patrolled by RNLI lifeguards from Easter to September and surfing equipment can be purchased or hired from the nearby surf shop.