Crantock

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Crantock is a coastal civil parish and the quaint, well-equipped village lies approximately two miles southwest of Newquay. Crantock dates back to 460 AD when a group of Irish hermits founded an oratory there. The village lies to the south of the tidal River Gannel which forms a natural boundary between the parishes of Newquay and Crantock. Ferries operate on a seasonal basis from Fern Pit to Crantock Beach. Large parts of the parish are owned by the National Trust, including West Pentire headland which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest noted for its wild flowers and rare plants. The older part of the village is situated around the church which is dedicated to St Carantoc, the village’s founder. At one time the village was known as Langurroc which translates as - The Dwelling of Monks. There is a Langurroc Road in the village. Langurroc was infamously (among locals) covered up in a sandstorm and may well lie beneath the sand dunes at Crantock Beach. The church was founded in Norman times and was originally cruciform but it was reconstructed in the 14th and 15th centuries and restored by E. H. Sedding in 1899-1902. The font is Norman and the rood screen is much restored. The local village hall has recently undergone a transformation, with money from the National Lottery as featured on ITV's Westcountry Live programme. The playing field on which the hall is situated was also given a new lease of life so that it features a basketball hoop, numerous climbing facilities as well as a cricket green and football pitches. The village hall is now three times bigger in size and was the centre-piece in 2007's annual "Jazz in the Park". The village also hosts a street fair known as the "Crantock Summer Fiesta" which has a coconut shy, tombola, raffle and many other stalls. In 2006, the village held its second annual "big bale push" involving locals pushing tightly packed straw cylinders around the roads of the village, which are of course, closed for the event. They now hold the Guinness record for bale pushing. The coastal footpath skirts all along the west side of the parish. Walking from Crantock, the path leads to a sandy cove called Porth Joke known locally as Polly Joke. Its name comes from the old Cornish words Pol-Lejouack meaning 'Jackdaw Cove'. This cove is entirely surrounded by National Trust land and has not altered for centuries. Further along the coast path is the village of Holywell, with a large sandy beach at Holywell Bay. Crantock has two Pubs “The Old Albion Inn” and “The Cornishman”, a tearoom and restaurant “Cosy Nook”, a handful of shops including coffee shops, a Post Office as well as arts and crafts shops and a pasty bakery. The local memorial hall is used for a range of local events and was built to commemorate those who fought and died in World War II.