Mount's Bay
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- This page is on the geographical feature. For other meanings, see Mount's Bay (disambiguation).
Mount's Bay is a large, sweeping bay on the English Channel coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom, stretching from the Lizard Point to the eastern side of the Land's End peninsula. The sheltered waters have been used as a natural harbour since ancient times. Towards the middle of the bay (and probably where the name is derived from) is St Michael's Mount.
Mount's Bay is the biggest bay in Cornwall. Its half-moon shape is similar to that of Donegal Bay in Ireland and Cardigan Bay in Wales, although, unlike the aforementioned bays, Mount's Bay is relatively sheltered from the prevailing Atlantic westerlies.
On the beach near Ponsandane, just to the east of Penzance, evidence of a 'submerged forest' can be seen at low tide, in the form of several fossilised tree trunks. Geologists believe that a forest may have existed here before the most recent sea level rise. This correlates with the Cornish name of St Michael's Mount, Carrack Looz en Cooz — literally, "the grey rock in the wood".
There are several coastal towns and villages dotted around Mount's Bay of which the largest is Penzance. To the west are Newlyn, Mousehole and Lamorna, and to the east are Marazion, Perranuthnoe, Praa Sands, Porthleven and Mullion. The bay also incorporates many beaches, coves and features including Prussia Cove, Loe Pool (and Loe Bar), Church Cove, Poldhu Cove and Kynance Cove.
Mount's Bay gives its name to a local secondary school. Mount's Bay School is located in Heamoor and serves Penzance and the surrounding countryside.
Commissioned by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 2006, RFA Mounts Bay is the latest-design Landing Ship Dock, the Bay Class used by the Royal Navy. Mount's Bay has good affiliations with the Sea Cadet Unit TS Zephyr in Caterham, Surrey.
