Porthtowan

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Map sources for Porthtowan at grid reference SW695475

Porthtowan is a small village in the Carrick district of Cornwall, England, UK and is a popular Summer tourist destination which lies within the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site. Porthtowan lies on Cornwall's north Atlantic coast about 2km west of St Agnes, 6km west of Perranporth, 4 km north of Redruth and Scorrier, 10km west of Truro and 15km south-west of Newquay. Mainline railway services, including the nightsleeper service, from London, stop at Redruth and Truro. Newquay airport is nearby and private jets, charters and helicopters are served by Perranporth airfield.

Porthtowan has a Blue Flag beach and is one of the UK's top surfing beaches^{[citation needed]} consisting of wide soft white sands and dunes. Its name comes from the Cornish words 'porth' and 'tewynn' to mean Cove of Sand Dunes.

Porthtowan's history is associated with mining and one of its most prominent buildings is a former engine house converted for residential use. It is also within walking distance across National Trust coastal walks to nearby Chapel Porth, Wheal Coates, Trevaunance Cove and St Agnes.

Porthtowan owes much of its present day character to its popularity as a local seaside resort in Victorian and Edwardian times when the local populous from Redruth and the surrounding areas west there, particularly on Bank Holidays. Overlooking Porthtowan are the remains of Wheal Towan, one of Cornwall's most prolific 18th Century copper mines, which provided Ralph Allen Daniell of Trelisick with a fortune estimated at the time as a "guinea a minute" night and day.

Porthtowan has more recently become well known as a surf resort and the surfclub building can be found directly on the Blue Flag beach. This is where the judges can be found for the annual SAS Rip Curl Cornish and Open Longboard Championship which is widely covered by the local radio station Atlantic FM. The beach is kept under the constant scrutiny the St Agnes based charity Surfers Against Sewage and is one of the cleanest in Cornwall.^{[citation needed]}