Portreath from above
At sea level, Portreath looks like your classic north coast beach – a sweep of soft sand, rugged cliffs and crashing waves dotted with bodyboarders. But from above, its landscape reveals an abundance of natural wonders and secrets from the past.
We catch up with local aerial photographer Matt Burtwell from Aerial Cornwall who takes us up to gull-level with the help of his trusty drone and in doing so unveils new perspectives of this fascinating beach.
When hovering above, you’ll spot Lady Basset’s Baths – eight ancient baths carved into the cliffs in the 1700s for aristocrat Lady Bassett and her daughter to dip in.
You’ll also notice Portreath tidal pool, a spot concealed by rocks and pools to the right hand side of the beach, and loved by wild swimmers seeking refuge from the wilder waves.
“So Aerial Cornwall started ten years ago and it was purely just a hobby”, Matt tells us. “I would just go out and enjoy taking photos of the coastline. It just naturally evolved into a business”
“It’s about working out the best time of day to photograph somewhere, whether it’s the morning or afternoon, the tides”.
“Portreath is a really interesting location… the more you delve into what’s here, the more that meets the eye”.
“There’s the harbour and the pier, there’s lots of fantastic rock formations, there’s sea caves and natural sea pools all around”.
“Just to the west is a fantastic stretch of coastline and hidden coves as well”.
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Stay in Portreath and discover more of its coastal wonder…
