Widemouth Bay facts for kids
Widemouth Bay (Cornish: Porth an Men) is a beautiful bay, a sandy beach, and a small village. It is located on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. The bay is about 3 miles (5 km) south of the town of Bude. This part of the coast has many old stories about smugglers from long ago. You can find small inlets and coves not far from Widemouth Bay.
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Exploring Widemouth Bay Village
The village of Widemouth Bay is quite new. Most of its buildings are bungalows built in the 1900s. It has several hotels, cafes near the beach, a pub, and shops on the hill above the bay. The village also has a small church called Our Lady and St Anne's. It is located on the land side of the village.
Fun Activities at the Beach
Widemouth Bay beach is very popular for surfing and swimming. During the summer, RNLI lifeguards are on duty to keep everyone safe. Several surfing schools teach lessons here. The waves are often gentle and easy for beginners to ride. However, sometimes the waves can get quite big, which is exciting for more experienced surfers!
Understanding the Geography
Widemouth Bay looks a lot like places such as Southerndown and Ogmore-by-Sea in Wales, which are across the Bristol Channel. It has a similar gently sloping hilltop, a wide sandy beach, and powerful waves from the Atlantic Ocean. Both places also have carboniferous sandstone cliffs.
In the past, small ships called sloops from Wales used Widemouth Bay as a simple port. They would unload coal and limestone here. When they returned to Wales, these sloops would carry Cornish goods like granite, slate, tin, copper, and even Cornish pasties.
Connecting the World: Telecommunications
Submarine Internet Cables
The gentle beaches in Widemouth Bay are important spots where many underwater cables come ashore. These cables connect the UK with other parts of the world, carrying internet data and phone calls.
Some of the major cables that land here include:
- TAT-3 (connecting the USA and UK)
- CANTAT-1 (connecting Canada and UK)
- Apollo (connecting the USA)
- TAT-8 (connecting the USA and France – last used in 2002)
- TAT-14 (connecting the USA and Europe)
- AC-2 (connecting the USA)
- EIG (Europe India Gateway)
- GLO-1 (connecting the UK and West Africa)
- Grace Hopper (connecting the USA, UK, and Spain – started working in 2022)
The Repeater Station Building
There is a special building in Widemouth Bay called a repeater station. It acts as a cable landing station for these underwater cables. Construction of this building started in 1962 and finished in 1963.
This building was designed to be very strong. It has special features like an air filtration system, heavy five-ton blast doors, and backup power systems. This allows it to keep working on its own, even in difficult situations. Most of the building is built underground, similar to many strong bunkers.
