Carlyon Bay is a bay and beach on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is located approximately two miles (3km) east of St Austell.
Geography and geology
Carlyon Bay is surrounded by low cliffs and is divided into three areas: Crinnis, Shorthorn and Polgaver. Much of the sand on the beach is actually waste material from the china clay industry known as “stent”. Cornwall Wildlife Trust has identified Shorthorn Beach (the middle beach of the three) as a site of national importance.
The area surrounding the bay was a centre of the mining industry and is now a golf course. The South West Coast Path runs along the cliff top and across the golf course. A new development is planned for Carlyon Bay which some people suggest could destroy natural habitats and curtail public access. The Cliff Head Hotel was established in 1934.
In 1979 a scene for the film Dracula was filmed at Carlyon Bay and in 1986 the music video for Is This Love? by Alison Moyet was filmed on the beach.
Carlyon Bay
