Tregirls Beach

What’s in a name?

Although writer Winston Graham invented the name Poldark when he wrote his first novel, Ross Poldark, in 1945, names of other characters were inspired by the people and places he knew in Cornwall, where he lived. Names like Demelza, Warleggan, Carne, Morwenna and Enys all have their roots in the county. One of his characters, gypsy girl Emma Tregirls who falls in love with a preacher, takes her name from Harbour Cove near Padstow, which the locals call Tregirls Beach.

The South West Coast Path runs through Tregirls, which at low tide stretches for over half a mile and connects with Hawkers Cove. The sands may look welcoming enough, but this becomes the infamous Doom Bar where over 600 ships have come to grief since the 1800s.

• Dogs
• Parking