Talland Bay

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Talland Bay is a hamlet situated between Looe and Polperro on the south east coast of Cornwall. It consists of a church, vicarage and a handful of houses. It has two sheltered shingle beaches, Talland Sand and Rotterdam Beach, and was well-known in previous centuries as a landing spot for smugglers. It has also been the scene of many shipwrecks including that of a French trawler, the Marguerite, in 1922. Two private boats performed a dramatic rescue and all 21 people were saved. The remains of the ship's boiler can still be clearly seen on the beach at low tide.

The church at Talland, dramatically located on the cliff-top, is dedicated to St Tallanus and as such is unique in Britain. St Tallanus is said to be a hermit who made his home here sometime in the fifth century AD and certainly the site has been a sacred place since Celtic times. The altar of the church is said to date from this time and was built at the junction of ley lines ^[1]. However, St Tallanus's existence is disputed ^[2]. The first documents to refer to him only appeared in the 15th century and it is believed that the church was previously dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria after whom the Catherine Wheel is named. Unusually it has a detached bell-tower which was only joined to the main body of the church in the 15th century. Inside the church is the headstone of Robert Mark although there is some confusion over exactly who he was. Killed in 1802, some accounts say that he was a Polperro smuggler shot at sea, others that he was a revenue collector killed on duty. ^[3]. His tablet reads: "In prime of life, most suddenly, Sad tidings to relate, Here view my utter destiny, And pity my sad state. I by a shot which rapid flew, Was instantly struck dead."

The area is one of the most unspoiled sections of the south west coast and is a both a designated Area of Outstanding Beauty and a Heritage Coast, but in October 2007, Caradon District Council granted planning permission for a controversial development of 40 new homes costing between £285,000 and £350,000 ^[4] after more than 100 local people lodged their objections.

The television personalities Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan own a holiday home here ^[5].