A DRAMATIC, if somewhat small, section of the North Cornwall coast lies within the expansive parish of St Teath, taking in Jacket’s Point, Crookmoyle Rock, Delabole Point and Barrett’s Zawn.

I particularly like the distinctive Cornish word, zawn, which means a steep-sided cove or inlet. There are several zawns on the coast around the county.

The remote hilly countryside inland from Barrett’s Zawn is mainly devoted to agriculture, there are few roads, and the cliffs and beaches are only accessible on foot via public footpaths.

One such path, from the coast near Crookmoyle Rock, goes inland to Dannonchapel where ruins of a remote old settlement come under the protection of the National Trust. Dannonchapel was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 but the buildings there have been abandoned for several decades.

Farmland bordering the coast in the St Teath parish in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
Farmland bordering the coast in the St Teath parish in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

Dinnabroad is another of the ancient settlements in this coastal landscape. In more recent times, Dinnabroad Farmhouse was used as a location for the Doc Martin television series, being the home of Aunt Sally who was played by actress Stephanie Cole.

The village of St Teath is around three miles from the coast and has a clocktower built from slate at its centre. The clocktower bears a plaque for the local men who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars and in the Korean War in the early 1950s.

The towering reconstructed Celtic cross in the North Cornwall village of St Teath. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
The towering reconstructed Celtic cross in the North Cornwall village of St Teath. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

The parish church is dedicated to St Tetha and dates from the 14th century. It is thought the church might have been built at a location formerly used as a Celtic place of worship. There is a towering reconstructed Celtic cross in the nearby cemetery that stands at over 13 feet high, the cemetery having been opened in the 1860s as the churchyard became full.

• Andrew Townsend is a journalist and writer. He further explores the county in the travel book, Cornwall Favourites For One And All!: A Quick Guide To Good Places To Visit Across The County, which is available in print and as an ebook. More details on Andrew’s books and ebooks can be found via this link to his author page on Amazon - bit.ly/AndrewTownsendAuthor

Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, a lovely tour around the county, is available as an ebook on Amazon.
Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, which provides a lovely armchair tour around the county, is available as a book and an ebook on Amazon. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)