Polridmouth Cove. Pronounced ‘Pridmuth’, Polridmouth Cove is also known as Menabilly after the estate that sits on its shores. It lies on the south coast of Cornwall between Gribbin Head and Fowey, and is actually two sandy bays that join when the tide is low.
Writer Daphne du Maurier fell in love with Menabilly manor house after it was abandoned by its owners, the Rashleigh family, in the late 1920s. She spent a lot of time sitting in the grounds and looking through the windows. Years later, during the Second World War, Du Maurier rented the house from the Rashleighs and lived there for several decades.
It is not hard to imagine the stunning cove and surroundings inspiring Du Maurier, and the area features in many of her most famous novels.
Polridmouth Cove itself is thought to be Rebecca’s beach from her novel Rebecca, and it’s said that a flock of gulls circling and diving down on a man ploughing a field nearby gave her the inspiration for her short story The Birds (later developed into the famous Hitchcock film).
Just behind the sandy cove there are several pretty ornamental lakes which were used as a decoy harbour during the war – with extra dams and lights set up to make it look like Fowey harbour.
Access to the beach is on foot only, via Menabilly village where there is a small car park (pay at the honesty box outside the farmhouse down the lane). It’s a short walk down to the beach, about ten or fifteen minutes. There are no facilities but if you are looking for a quiet spot for a sheltered swim, this gently shelving beach is pretty perfect.
And if you look closely on the rocks between the two coves you may even spot the Rashleigh bath. Cold-water bathing was popular in the 19th century for wealthy families and there are many baths carved into rocks in Cornwall that are still visible today. Although the Rashleigh bath doesn’t hold water any more, if you time it right with the tides you may be able to have a short wallow – it even has steps down into it.
Similar spots: more Victorian baths ~ Portreath & Lady Bassett’s baths
