And there are good hotels at Falmouth where the lotus-eaters may do this.
CHAPTER XV.
NEWOUAY
Mr. Austin Treffry—The sands—Cliff-castles—Castel-an-Dinas—The Gannel—S. Carantock—Newlyn—Perranzabuloe—Church of S. Piran—History—Roche—S. Denis—Columb Major and Minor—S. Agnes—The Cornish rotten boroughs—How they passed away from the Crown—Mitchell—The town hall—Kit Hawkins—Trerice—Lanherne—Church—William Noye—S. Mawgan—The educator of the early missionaries.
Newquay is a very new place; it was projected by Mr. J. T. (Austin) Treffry, of Place House, Fowey, a very remarkable man, far in advance of his time, to whom not Fowey only, but Cornwall generally owes a debt of gratitude. His projects have been worked out since his death with complete success.
In itself uninteresting to the last degree, it is the key to very fine coast scenery, and the air is bracing without being cold. It possesses excellent sands, both at Newquay and Fistral Bays. There is further a long tract of sand, two and a quarter miles long, to the north of S. Columb Porth, the Tregurian Beach. The rocks will interest the geologist as well as form a subject for the artist.
The coast presents examples of several cliff-castles, as at Kelsey, Trevelgue and Griffith’s Heads, and Redcliff above Bedruthan; but the finest example of a castle is Castel-an-Dinas, near S. Columb Major.
This fortress comprises about six acres of land, enclosed within three concentric rings of bank and moat, built up of earth and stone together, about a pyramidal hill. The innermost enclosure contains about an acre and a half, and there were at one time indications of habitations therein, but these have now disappeared. There are, however, traces of a pit that was a well or tank for rain-water, as there is no spring on the hill. There are two entrances to this interesting camp or dinas.
According to legend, King Arthur lived here and hunted the wild deer on Tregoss Moors.
Near Perranzabuloe are Caer Kieff (eyf, perfect) and Caer Dane (dinas).