St. Mawgan
OS grid ref:- SW 8765
St Mawgan in Pydar is situated around 4 miles to the north of the coastal resort of Newquay, the picturesque village lies in the wooded Lanherne valley, the River Menalhyl runs through the village, with an the ancient ford with an old bridge crossing it. The classic village was chosen by the BBC as the location for Agatha Christie's Miss Marple.
The village is probably best known as the home of Newquay Cornwall airport. The airport was originally part of RAF St Mawgan, which still operates adjacent to the airport and now serves as a base for Cornwall's Air Ambulance Service.
The wisteria clad Falcon Inn (pictured left) is on record as dating to 1758, but is thought to be even older. The name is an allusion to the nearby estate's coat of arms. Throughout much of the twentieth century the inn was run by members of the Fry family. The Falcon serves excellent food, its interior is cosy and relaxed, with flagstone floors and log fires in winter.
The village stores, which is situated right in the centre of St Mawgan, are home to St. Mawgan's 's post office and delightful tea rooms (pictured right) . The tea rooms serve a range of teas, coffees, homemade soups, snacks, hot lunches and cream teas - all beneath the canopy of a beautiful grape vine and outside in the attractive garden.
A monastery was established here as early as the seventh century. The village church of St Mawgan dates to the thirteenth century and is dedicated to St Maganus and St Nicholas, St Mauganus was a Welshman and is also honoured at Mawgan in Meneage in Kerrier and in Wales and Brittany. The church was endowed by the Arundells of Lanherne, the chief landowners in the area who occupied the manor house between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries.
42 of the bench ends are original and date from 1450-1500, there are also monumental brasses of the Arundell family. The stern of a rowing boat in the churchyard was placed there as a memorial to men who drifted ashore frozen to death in 1846. An impressive lantern head cross also stands in the churchyard.
Lanherne House, home of the Arundel family was mainly built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it became a convent for émigré nuns from Belgium in 1794.
The Japanese Garden at St. Mawgan is an oasis of tranquillity and a unique Garden for all Seasons. The garden covers two acres and there are Water, Stroll & Zen gardens to see, created in accordance with the philosophy of the East.
The award winning beach at Mawgan Porth has golden sands, rock pools to explore and some sand dunes, it is an excellent location for surfing.
Spitfire Corner
Aviation enthusiast Barry Wallond of St. Mawgan has built two 1/1 scale Spitfire replicas. One of these is on displayed in his front garden on the A3059 at Carnanton, St. Mawgan, adjacent to Newquay Airport which was fromerly RAF St Mawgan. The replica is a Spitfire Mk. IXC in the markings of ZF-Z of a Polish unit, next to it is displayed the engine and propeller of a B17 Flying Fortress which crashed into the sea off the coast of Looe. The Spitfire has become something of a local landmark and attracts around 1,000 visitors each year.
Barry, an ex-RAF serviceman, has also built another Spitfire replica, a Mk. I, kept at the nearby airport, it is transported to various displays around the country. The replica has also been used in film productions, including the recent BBC drama documentary First Light.
Viewings of the replica at his house at 'Spitfire Corner' are free, although there is an honesty box which the public can contribute to help support his work.