Boscastle harbour and landscape
View from Boscastle harbour path leading to headland
Boscastle (Cornish: Kastell Boterel) is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The name of the village derives from Bottreaux Castle, a 12th century motte-and-bailey fortress, of which few remains survive. A flash flood on 16 August 2004, caused extensive damage to the village, but much of this was repaired by the following year. Boscastle flooded again on the 21 June 2007 although the scale of devastation was not nearly as bad as in 2004.
The village has the only natural harbour for 20 miles along the coast, protected by two stone harbour walls built in 1584 by Sir Richard Grenville (of HMS Revenge). The oldest parts of the village surround the harbour, which once exported slate, and extend up the valleys of the Rivers Valency and Jordan. More modern buildings (principally residential) creep up the steep stone banks and hills surrounding the harbour and valleys.
Boscastle has one of the nearest youth hostels to the ruins of Tintagel Castle, particularly on foot along approximately five miles of the Cornwall coastal path, part of the much longer South West Coast Path long-distance footpath.
One of the town's main attractions is the Museum of Witchcraft, as well as the Boscastle pottery.
The churches in Boscstle are Forrabry,Minister.
The floods on 16th August 2004 left residents trapped in houses as the roads turned into rivers. Two Royal Air Force Sea King rescue helicopters from Chivenor, three Royal Navy Sea Kings from Culdrose, one RAF Sea King from St Mawgan and one Coastguard S61 helicopter from Portland were tasked to search for, and assist, casualties in and around the town of Boscastle. Casualties were trapped on roofs, in cars, in buildings and on areas around the riverbank. A total of 91 people were rescued during the operation, coordinated by the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC), based at RAF Kinloss in Scotland.
A combined effort by the RAF, Royal Navy, Coastguard, Police, Fire & Rescue Service and Ambulance Authority resulted in no fatalities.
[edit] National Trust property
Much of the land in and around the village is owned by the National Trust, including both sides of the harbour, Forrabury Stitches, high above the Boscastle and divided into ancient "stitchmeal" cultivation plots, and large areas of the Valency Valley, known for its connections to Thomas Hardy.
The Trust runs a shop by and a visitor centre in the Old Smithy.
[edit] External links
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Coordinates: 50.67824° N 4.70480° W
(Source: Wikipedia) |