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Polzeath

Polzeath (Hayle Bay) can be found at the mouth of the Camel Estuary. The beach is well used by surfers and bathers and is regularly cleaned.

A notice board describes the area as well as giving details of water quality. National Trust land adjacent to the beach provide footpaths leading to Pentire Point giving superb views from the Rump headlands.

'Polzeath... the thumping heart of cool Cornwall' - Sunday Times.

Blue Flag Award, Tidy Britain Group Award, Cafe, NCDC Toilets (Disabled), Shop, Polzeath Voluntary Marine Wildlife Reserve, Surf School and Hire, NCDC car park on beach, other car parks are situated at Tristram, Anne’s Cottage Surf shop and New Polzeath, behind the Atlantic Hotel.

Three distinct peaks (rights and lefts). Also left at mid tide on the left handside of the beach, off the rocks. Beginners through to experienced surfers. Rocks to the left and right of the bay at varying stages of the tide, overcrowding on busy days and exhausting paddle on big days. Rip on the right hand side of the beach at low tide. Dangerous access into the water via New Polzeath after mid-tide. Also avoid steps access at this tide.Tides: Surfable at all tides, better at Low to mid tide. E/SE offshore.

North Cornwall has a great variety of habitats, all which are home to different animals and plants.

North Cornwall District Council seeks to provide information on aspects of the area's wildlife. Current information relates to:

Adders - Walkers using the footpaths to access the wonderful landscape and wildlife of North Cornwall may occasionally come across a drowsy adder, basking in the sun. During the summer we do get a number of phone calls from concerned people fresh from such an encounter, worried that they may have been in some danger.

NCDC, with assistance from English Nature and the County Council, has therefore produced a leaflet which aims to reassure people that the likelihood of being bitten by a snake is extremely small and that there are actions you can take to minimise what is a small risk. The Council is also anxious that people see adders as part of the rich kaleidoscope of wildlife in North Cornwall, their right to live in the countryside being as much as any other wildlife.

Weever fish - Bathers and paddlers on the wonderful beaches of North Cornwall may occasionally be unfortunate enough to come across a Weever Fish. If trodden on in bare feet the sting of the weever fish can be extremely painful.

NCDC, together with English Nature, has produced a leaflet which provides guidance on how to avoid such an encounter and, if you do unfortunately step on one, what actions you can take to alleviate the effects of the sting.

Weever fish are not malevolent creatures lying in wait for the unwary, they are part of the North Cornwall's wildlife and should be celebrated as such.

The Strand Line - North Cornwall District Council promotes the biodiversity of the District, it is in part what makes this area so special. The strand line, which is the line of debris left by the retreating tide usually at the top of the beach, provides a habitat for a range of creatures all of which contribute to the rich complexity of the area.

However the strand line is also a trap for litter, plastics and other man made materials that get mixed up in the natural seaweed making the strand line aesthetically unpleasant. This leaflet explains why the strand line is important and why it should not be removed wholesale.

The Council has now adopted new beach cleaning operations which respects the need to maintain the strand line habitat but enables the targeted removal of litter. Through this new procedure the Council can keep its beaches clean whilst having regard for the wildlife that requires the strand line for their existence.

Swallows, Swifts and House Martin's - The Council recognises that one of the reasons why the populations of these birds, which are the essence of the quintessential British summer, have declined is because of the loss of suitable sites for nesting.

The rush for house improvements, development of derelict buildings and the perception that nesting birds somehow makes a building untidy have all combined to reduce the opportunities that these birds have for nest sites. This leaflet aims to provide house owners, developers and architects with guidance on how these birds can be accommodated in existing and new houses.

Jellyfish - Occasionally when conditions are right large numbers of jellyfish appear in the sea, numbers of which may get washed up on the strand line.

The appearance of the jellyfish is a natural phenomena but sometimes raises concerns about the possibility of getting stung whilst swimming or paddling.

This leaflet helps you to identify which jellyfish you may encounter and which of them may give a sting. Few of the jellyfish you are likely to encounter gives particularly harmful stings, but some people have more sensitive skin than others and may react to stings in different ways.

Jellyfish are important components of the wildlife of North Cornwall. They are beautifully delicate creatures, some with amazing lifestyles and ecology. This leaflet aims to encourage you to appreciate the natural beauty of the animal whilst taking appropriate precautions to avoid their possible sting.