Newquay Guide

WHERE IS NEWQUAY?

From M5 (south): leave the M5 at junction 31, then branch left and merge on to the A30. Stay on the A30 until you reach the turn off for Indian Queens, St Dennis and Newquay. At the roundabout take the third exit on to the A39. At the next roundabout take the 2nd exit on to the A392 until Qunitrell Downs. At this roundabout you can take the 2nd or 3rd exit. Both routes will take you into Newquay.

By Train: You can travel to Cornwall via the Rail Network. Newquay train station is central to all accommodation and has a taxi rank outside the main entrance. Go to the National Rail website to plan your journey from wherever you are in the UK.

By Air: Newquay Cornwall Airport is serviced by flights from around the UK. Flybe, Ryanair, BMI Baby, Lufthansa, AirSouthWest and Skybus all operate out of Cornwall's premier Airport from most regional Airports. There are plenty of Car Hire and Taxis available at the Airport.

BRIEF HISTORY OF NEWQUAY

The discovery of an Iron Age hill fort near Trevelgue Head was the first sign of a settlement in Newquay. The Iron industry in Newquay began with the smelting of ore for weapons and tools.

Jumping forward to 1439 a New Quay was built in what was, by now, a small fishing village, thus the town of Newquay was born. On the headland overlooking the bay, the distinctive Huer’s hut is still a landmark in the town. The huer was the lookout for shoals of pilchard. Once spotted he would alert the towns fisherman and direct them to the shoal.

By 1801 the village population had grown to over one thousand and in the late 1800s’ the parish of Newquay was formed. The arrival of the train in 1876 was the signal for Newquay to start welcoming the tourist and the fishing village began to grow into a small town. Hotels were built to accommodate the new visitors, several of which still flourish today. Also today you can see oared boats known as pilot gigs. These boats were used to help large ships negotiate up the Bristol channel. Crews would race out to be the first to land a pilot onto one of the ships. Races continue today with teams from all over Cornwall competing in Newquay Bay.

During the first part of the 20^th Century many more hotels were built and the development of the town continued apace, with the pilchards now almost gone Newquay became more reliant on the tourist industry, however a small number of fishing boats still survive today.

With it’s 11 beaches and miles of golden sand Newquay has become one of the UK’s most popular holiday resorts. Today after a century as a major tourist destination Newquay’s population can increase fivefold during the summer months to over 100,000.

From an Iron age settlement to one of the UK’s major holiday resorts, Newquay can justify its title  “the Coast of Dreams”.