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Charlestown West Beach

Cornwall, England


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Charlestown West Beach, situated on the south coast of Cornwall, is a picturesque beach resort surrounded by cliffs and featuring a historic Georgian harbour.

Charlestown is located on the south coast of Cornwall, approximately 290 metres wide, and is surrounded by cliffs. The village boasts a Georgian harbour that has been featured in several film and television programmes. The harbour is home to a fleet of tall ships and is a popular tourist attraction.

There are two beaches either side of the harbour, with the west beach being the smaller of the two. The west beach is a pebble and shingle beach, while the east beach is a sand and stone beach. Charlestown Beach, also referred to as Polmear Beach, is a small sandy beach suitable for bathing and a day on the sand.

Charlestown was originally the fishing village of Porthmeur (or West Polmear) and was developed as a port in the 18th Century by Charles Rashleigh. The village is now a World Heritage Site and features a range of attractions, including the Shipwreck and Heritage Centre, a diving museum, and the Rashleigh Arms. Visitors can also explore the harbour, admire the tall ships, and follow the South West Coast Path along the cliffs.

Snorkelling can be enjoyed around the large rock known as Polmear Island and Appletree Point. The beach is dog-free all year round, although the town has dog-friendly attractions. There are two private slipways for launching small craft, such as kayaks, on an occasional basis, but permission is required from the Harbourmaster's Office.

Charlestown is also well-known for being one of the main locations for the TV series Poldark.

Charlestown West Beach is adjacent to the South West Coast Path.

Shingle Pebbles Rock

Weather and tides for Wednesday 16 September

Today
Chance of rain 27%
Max temperature 17°C
feels like 17°C
Wind 14mph
Max UV Index
Tonight
Chance of rain 80%
Min temperature 15°C
feels like 14°C
Wind 14mph

The tide at Charlestown West Beach is currently rising. High tide will be at approximately 9:20 PM, and the next low tide will be at approximately 3:43 AM tomorrow.

Today's air pollution levels are forecast to be Low

Detailed weather and tides »

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Location: Charlestown

Location type: Urban

OS Grid: SX038514

Coordinates: 50°19'48"N 4°45'24"W

Mapcode: GBR N1.XMYM

What 3 Words: truck.discusses.solution

Coordinates and location codes are for an approximate mid-point of the beach, and may not reflect the best access point or the most popular part of the beach.

Country: England

Local Authority: Cornwall

Parish: St Austell Bay

Nearest postcode: PL25 3NJ

(for sat-nav purposes only, a beach does not have a postal address!)

Important! Beach information is compiled from a variety of different sources and is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of compilation. However, information may be incorrectly supplied by our sources or go out of date after publication. BritishBeaches.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy of any information on this page.

Visitor information for Charlestown West Beach, Cornwall, England. Weather, tides, visitor comments, beach facilities, photos, nearest postcode, beach information and nearby accommodation.

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216.73.217.16 Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:16:10 +0100