St Mawgan

St Mawgan is a village set in the Vale of Mawgan, about 5 miles north-east of Newquay. The village is notably well-preserved; a stream runs through the bottom of the valley past the 13th-century church of St Mawgan and Lanherne House, a Carmelite convent that has been continuously occupied since the 17th century. The gardens at Lanherne include a small Japanese garden open to visitors on specific days. The Falcon Inn is a traditional country pub in the village.

The Vale of Mawgan is a sheltered wooded valley running down to the coast at Mawgan Porth, about 2 miles north. Mawgan Porth is a sandy beach popular with families and intermediate surfers, less crowded than the Newquay beaches. Newquay Airport, Cornwall’s main commercial airport, is about 3 miles south-west of the village - its proximity makes St Mawgan convenient for fly-to visitors.

Bedruthan Steps, the dramatic stack beach managed by the National Trust, is about 3 miles north along the coast. Padstow is about 10 miles north-west. Holiday accommodation in St Mawgan tends to be in converted farm buildings and period cottages in the valley, combining inland peace with quick access to the north coast beaches.