| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 Dunes at Penhale Sands and Perran Beach | |
  Location within Cornwall  Penhale Sands (England) | |
| Location | Cornwall |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SW771572 |
| Coordinates | 50°22′22″N 5°08′07″W / 50.3728°N 5.1353°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 1,070.4 hectares (2,650 acres) |
| Notification | 1953 |
| Natural England website | |
Penhale Sands (Cornish: Peran Treth, meaning St Piran's sands), or Penhale Dunes, is a complex of sand dunes and a protected area for its wildlife, on the north Cornwall coast in England, UK. It is the most extensive system of sand dunes in Cornwall and is believed to be the landing site of Saint Piran. Dating from the 6th century, St Piran's Oratory is thought to be one of the oldest Christian sites in Britain. The remains were discovered in the late 18th century, and in 2014 the covering sand was removed to reveal a building more than a thousand years old, in a reasonable state of preservation.[1] A restricted military area dating from 1939, Penhale Camp, is found on the northern part of the dunes.
The area has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1953 and became a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in 2004.[2][3] The South West Coast Path runs through the dunes.
- ^ "Ancient remains of church on Cornish beach unearthed again". BBC News Cornwall. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
SSSIwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ SAC. "Penhale Dunes". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 11 January 2012.