Watergate Bay facts for kids
Watergate Bay is a beautiful, long sandy beach in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It's located near the town of Newquay and faces the huge Atlantic Ocean. The local Cornish name for it is Porth Tregoryan, which means 'cove at Coryan's farmstead or village'. This amazing two-mile-long beach is surrounded by tall cliffs.
Watergate Bay: A Cool Place to Visit
Watergate Bay is super popular for many fun activities. Because it's so open to the ocean, it's a fantastic spot for water sports that don't use engines, like surfing. People also love to fly kites here and create amazing sand art.
In May 2007, Watergate Bay was chosen to host the English Nationals Surfing Championships. This shows how great the waves are for surfers!
Right above the beach, you'll find the Watergate Bay Hotel. There's also Fifteen Cornwall, a famous restaurant started by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. Many places to camp and stay in caravans are also nearby.
Watergate Bay Hotel: A Bit of History
The Watergate Bay Hotel first opened its doors in July 1900. It was designed by an architect named Joshua Harrison Goodland. The hotel was built hoping to welcome tourists who would arrive by train. There were plans for a railway line to reach the area, but it was never built. Before the hotel was built, the land was used for farming.
Watergate Bay on Screen
Watergate Bay has been a filming location for several movies, TV shows, and even a radio program.
- The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (1999)
- Plunge (2003): This was a surf movie that featured the famous actress Kate Winslet.
- Echo Beach (2008): This was a 12-part TV series. It was filmed during the summer of 2007 and starred actors like Jason Donovan and Martine McCutcheon.
- Moving Wallpaper (2008): This was a comedy TV show. It showed what goes on behind the scenes while making a show like Echo Beach.
- BBC Radio 4's Open Country: This radio show created a 30-minute documentary all about Watergate Bay.
