A gorgeous UK beach dubbed one of the best in the world and frequented by travel influencers has had its public access cut off due to health and safety concerns
A Cornish beach once dubbed among the best in the world and which featured in BBC’s Poldark has had its public access cut off.
Situated in the far west of Cornwall, Pedn Vounder is known for its turquoise waters, secluded cove and unofficial capacity as a nudist beach. However, tourists and swimmers looking forward to enjoying its pristine waters during the heatwave were met with a rope cordoning the beach off.
A red sign by the National Trust, which manages the path down to the beach but not the beach itself, reads: “Danger. No Access.” According to the National Trust, the path has been closed off due to erosion, which has made the path unstable and has now resulted in a “near vertical” six-metre climb down.
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It also added the sea at the beach is “dangerous due to rip currents” and that there have been “regular serious incidents involving the emergency services”.
Pedn Vounder has long been notorious for its difficulty to access, with a long walk from any parking spots followed by a steep pathway down.
The beach’s closure during the peak summer period has been met with dismay by locals in the nearby village of Treen, who said the beauty spot has been drawing a large number of visitors in recent years.
It was recently voted one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world by EnjoyTravel.com, and has been a favourite stop for travel influencers.
Meanwhile, this July, the annual Times and Sunday Times Best UK Beaches guide featured it amongst its best beaches in the south west and it was also named the sixth best nudist beach in the UK, according to KAYAK.
The beach also featured on TV screens as the fictional Nampara Cove in the BBC’s historical drama Poldark, starring Aidan Turner. Rebecca Ley, 46, who visited the beach recently and grew up nearby, told The Times that the closure was “a real shame.”
She said: “Getting down was always a bit challenging, it’s definitely not one for flip flops, but I can’t say I noticed a massive difference from when I was a child.” She added that her nine-year-old had made it down “without difficulty”, as had about 100 other visitors that day.
A National Trust spokesperson told The Mirror: “Due to increasing coastal erosion, an unofficial and steep pathway across National Trust land leading to Pedn Vounder beach (not cared for by the National Trust) in Cornwall has become increasingly unsafe and is now temporarily closed.
“This decision has been made due to the significant increase in potential for serious injury and has been made in consultation with local authorities, emergency services and other partners.
“We understand this closure may disappoint visitors and the local community and have not taken the decision lightly. As a charity that promotes access to nature and culture we always try and maintain access wherever it’s possible to do so, but due to the increasing erosion undercutting the cliff we have made the difficult decision to close it.
“In the meantime, we encourage visitors to use nearby Porthcurno beach and to follow all local signage and safety advice. ”