Crackington Haven
Crackington Haven on the north Cornish coast is one of the finest small coves in Cornwall, a sheltered beach of dark sand and rock backed by the dramatic Carboniferous rock strata of the surrounding cliffs whose combination of the beach, the coastal walking and the extraordinary geological formations visible in the cliff faces creates one of the most geologically distinctive beach destinations on the north Cornish coast. The cliff geology here is among the most complex and most visually dramatic on the entire Cornish coast, the ancient Carboniferous rocks folded and contorted into spectacular patterns.
The cliffs at Crackington Haven expose a sequence of alternating shales and sandstones known as the Crackington Formation, a geological unit that takes its name from this specific location and represents the defining rock type of the high coastal cliffs of north Cornwall and north Devon. The folding and faulting of this formation, clearly visible in the cliff faces on either side of the cove, provides one of the most instructive and most accessible examples of complex geological deformation in the southwest and the dramatic visual patterns of the folded strata have made Crackington a destination for geology students and enthusiasts.
The coastal path from Crackington Haven traverses some of the finest cliff scenery on the north Cornish coast, the High Cliff to the south being the highest sea cliff in Cornwall at approximately 223 metres and the views along the coast in both directions being exceptional. The beach itself provides good bathing in summer and excellent rock pooling at low tide.