Gorran Haven

Gorran Haven

Gorran Haven
Gorran Haven
Gorran Haven shown within Cornwall
Population 1,271 (Parish, 2001)
OS grid reference SX009414
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town ST. AUSTELL
Postcode district PL26
Dialling code 01726
Police Devon and Cornwall
Fire Cornwall
Ambulance South Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK Parliament

Gorran Haven (Cornish: Porthust)[1] is a fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall, England, UK. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Mevagissey.[2] According to the Post Office at the 2011 census the population was included in the civil parish of St Goran

The village lies in a cove between two sandy beaches.[2] Vault Beach (also known as Bow beach) is south of Gorran Haven and Great Perhaver Beach is to the north, both beaches are naturist beaches.[3][4]

Gorran Haven lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Almost a third of Cornwall has AONB designation, with the same status and protection as a National Park.

Gorran Haven was an ancient fishing harbour; its first pier was built in the 15th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries it became a port handling merchandise brought from Fowey by barges and lighters. The pier was rebuilt in the 1820s and reconstructed in 1888.[5]

There are two churches in the village, Haven Church (previously Mount Zion,) and St Just Church. St Just Church had been used as a fish cellar for over a century. In 1812 the Congregationalists of Mevagissey moved into the Haven using St Just as their Meeting House and referring to it as the old Chapel Cellar. Haven Church is a non-denominational church.[6]

Notable residents

The geologist Charles William Peach worked in the area and there is a plaque to his memory in the village. His son Ben Peach was born in Gorran Haven.[7]

The former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove was born and initially raised in Gorran Haven.

The writer Colin Wilson settled in Gorran Haven during the 1950s.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Place-names in the Standard Written Form (SWF) : List of place-names agreed by the MAGA Signage Panel Archived 2013-05-15 at the Wayback Machine.. Cornish Language Partnership.
  2. 1 2 Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 204 Truro & Falmouth (Roseland Peninsula) (Map). Ordnance Survey. 2009. ISBN 978-0-319-23290-3.
  3. ↑ "Great Perhaver Beach". Cornwall Beach Guide. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  4. ↑ "Vault Beach (Gorran Haven)". Cornwall Beach Guide. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  5. ↑ Todd, Arthur Cecil; Laws, Peter (1972). The industrial archaeology of Cornwall. David and Charles. p. 226.
  6. ↑ "Haven Church - Who we are". www.havenchurch.co. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  7. ↑ Oldroyd, David. "Peach, Benjamin Neeve (1842–1926)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/37839. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  8. ↑ Lachman, Gary (2016). Beyond the Robot. TarcherPerigee. p. XII. ISBN 0399173080.

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