The Towans

Typical dunes scenery near Upton Towans
Looking north from Phillack Towans towards Godrevy
Power lines near Upton Towans
Sketchmap showing The Towans in relation to St Ives Bay

Towan (from Cornish: Tewyn, meaning "sand dune")[1] is found in many placenames in Cornwall (Porthtowan for example).[2] However, The Towans usually refers to the three-mile (5 km) stretch of coastal dunes which extends north-east from the estuary of the River Hayle (at 50°11′33″N 5°25′52″W / 50.19256°N 5.43111°W / 50.19256; -5.43111) to Gwithian beach (at 50°13′48″N 5°23′29″W / 50.22991°N 5.39145°W / 50.22991; -5.39145) with a midpoint near Upton (at 50°12′38″N 5°24′28″W / 50.21053°N 5.40768°W / 50.21053; -5.40768). The South West Coast Path crosses the towans.[3]

  1. ^ Craig Weatherhill (2017). The Place-Names of the Land's End Peninsula. Penwith Press. p. 99. ISBN 9781999777500.
  2. ^ Into Cornwall website; Place Names in Cornwall. Retrieved June 2010
  3. ^ OS Explorer Map. Land's End (Map). Southampton: Ordnance Survey. 2015. ISBN 978 0 319 24304 6.