Praa Sands


Praa Sands, commonly pronounced pray or prah, is a white-sand beach and coastal village in Cornwall, England. It is in the parish of Breage and lies off the A394 road between Helston and Penzance. Formerly serving the local mining industry, it is now mostly a tourist-orientated area.

Geography

Praa Sands is situated in a sheltered indentation within Mount's Bay; it has a long, wide, sandy, south-facing beach that is lapped by comparatively large waves for the area. The beach, which has shallow water and is manned by seasonal lifeguards, attracts surfers and holidaymakers. Adjacent to the beach are traditional retail outlets serving the holidaymaker.
Praa Sands lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The western side of Praa Sands beach contains Folly Rocks Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is noted for its geological aspects, including a granite porphyry.

History

On 1 February 1882 a pumping engine at Sydney Cove was fired. In September 1882 it was reported in The Cornishman newspaper that an engine house was nearly complete and the engine was being put in.
During World War II, after an air battle against eight German aeroplanes over the Bay of Biscay, a Sunderland flying boat was heavily damaged. The crew returned 800 miles to the Cornish coast, where pilot Colin Walker landed and beached the aircraft at Praa Sands. The local people of Praa Sands took the crew into their houses and gave them medical assistance. Walker received the Distinguished Service Order and several of the other crew members also won medals. On 2 June 2013, a memorial was opened on the green at Praa Sands.