Mount's Bay
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mount's Bay is a large sweeping bay on the English Channel coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom, stretching from the Lizard Point to the eastern side of the Land's End peninsula. The sheltered waters have been used as a natural harbour since ancient times. Towards the middle of the bay (and probably were the name is derived from) is St Michael's Mount.
Mount's Bay is the biggest bay in Cornwall. It's half-moon shape is quite similar to Donegal Bay in Ireland and Cardigan Bay in Wales although unlike the aforementioned bays Mount's Bay is relatively sheltered from the prevailing Atlantic westerlies.
On the beach near Ponsandane, just to the east of Penzance, evidence of a 'sunken forest' can be seen at low tide, in the form of several fossilised tree trunks. Geologists believe that a forest may have existed here before the most recent sea level rise. This correlates with the Cornish name of St Michael's Mount, Carrack Looz en Cooz — literally, "the grey rock in the wood".
There are several coastal towns and villages dotted around Mount's Bay of which the largest is Penzance. To the west are Newlyn, Mousehole and Lamorna and to the east are Marazion, Perranuthnoe, Praa Sands, Porthleven and Mullion. The bay also incorporates many beaches, coves and features including Prussia Cove, Loe Pool (and Loe Bar), Church Cove, Poldhu Cove and Kynance.
Mount's Bay also gives it name to a local secondary school. Mount's Bay School is located in Heamoor and serves Penzance and the surrounding countryside.
