Watergate Bay
{{Short description|Bay in Cornwall, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
Image:Busy Watergate Bay Beach Newquay Cornwall by Kernow Skies.jpg
Watergate Bay ({{langx|kw|Porth Tregoryan|label=Standard Written Form}}, meaning cove at Coryan's farmstead/village){{Cn|date=September 2023}} 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 {{convert|2|mi|adj=on}} sandy beach and exposed site is popular for non-powered water sports, kite flying,{{Cite web|title=Watergate Bay: The Best Kitesurfing Spot In Cornwall|url= https://cswatersports.com/watergate-bay-the-best-kitesurfing-spot-in-cornwall/|access-date=2021-07-29|website=www.cswatersports.com}} and sand art.
Since May 2007, Watergate Bay hosts the English Nationals Surfing Championships.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/content/articles/2007/04/05/englishnationalspreview_feature.shtml BBC - Cornwall - Surfing & extreme sports - English Nationals Preview]
Watergate Bay Hotel
The Watergate Bay Hotel first opened in July 1900.{{Cite web|title=The history of Watergate Bay|url=https://www.watergatebay.co.uk/blog/the-history-of-watergate-bay-hotel/|access-date=2021-03-30|website=www.watergatebay.co.uk}}{{Cite web|title=Customer Profile: Watergate Bay Hotel|url=https://www.origincoffee.co.uk/blogs/journal/customer-profile-watergate-bay-hotel|access-date=2021-03-30|website=Origin Coffee}} 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.{{Cite web|title=The history of Watergate Bay|url=https://www.watergatebay.co.uk/blog/the-history-of-watergate-bay-hotel/|access-date=2021-03-30|website=www.watergatebay.co.uk}}{{Cite web|title=Customer Profile: Watergate Bay Hotel|url=https://www.origincoffee.co.uk/blogs/journal/customer-profile-watergate-bay-hotel|access-date=2021-03-30|website=Origin Coffee}} Prior to this it was farmland. Image:WaterGateBayLowTide.jpg
Cornish wrestling
Cornish wrestling tournaments, for prizes, were held in Watergate Bay in the 1900s for the "Burnaby Cup".St. Austell Star, 31 August 1911.Boxing World and Mirror of Life, 23 August 1913.
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),[https://us.imdb.com/title/tt0400739/ Plunge: The Movie from the Internet Movie Database] a surf movie featuring Kate Winslet.
- Echo Beach (2008),[https://us.imdb.com/title/tt1058915/ Echo Beach from the Internet Movie Database] 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.[http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a62741/echo-beach-and-moving-wallpaper-lineup-revealed.html Moving Wallpaper from the Digital Spy website]
- BBC Radio 4's Open Country produced a 30-minute BBC Radio Documentary about the bay.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/opencountry.shtml BBC Radio 4's Open Country.(17 February 2007)]
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Cornwall}}
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/webcams/webcam_watergatebay.shtml BBC Cornwall: Watergate Bay Webcam]
{{coord|50|28|N|5|03|W|region:GB_type:waterbody|display=title}}
Category:Surfing locations in Cornwall
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