Veryan, Cornwall

Veryan, Cornwall

Veryan is a village on the Roseland peninsula, in a lush wooded hollow. Probably best known for its round houses , which were designed to keep the devil out as there were no corners for him to hide in. It is unclear as to why the devil was more likely to appear in Veryan than in other Cornish villages, but they were built in the 19th century, with the round houses topped with a conical thatched roof and a cross for extra protection.

The Veryan parish has a thriving junior school, two hotels, several shops and galleries, a number of B & Bs and two public houses.

Veryan is 1.5 miles from the sandy beaches of Carne and Pendower. The village sports centre is very popular with the locals and tourists, offering a variety of sport facilities including tennis and indoor/outdoor bowling.

The earliest settlers were tribes from the Bronze Age and Carne Beacon is one of the largest burial mounds or ‘barrows’ in Britain. Later the Iron Age Celts left ‘ringarounds’, the remains of their circular forts.

Veryan church is dedicated to a French martyr, St Symphorian, though the remains of at least one Celtic cross can be seen. The church contains some Norman features. Some doorway arches and windows are probably 13th century, the arcade of pillars fourteenth, while the font is a mediaeval copy of a Norman design. Three of the present ring of six bells were installed in the 18th century, the remaining three being added in the 1890s.

The sandy bathing beach, Pendower beach is down a narrow lane from the village, and the small fishing village of Portloe is just to the east.

Caerhays Castle, an attractive private residence in the area was used in the opening scenes of the TV production of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. It can be best seen from the sandy beach at Porthluney Cove.

Veryan Parish web site fro the Parish Church of Veryan.

Veryan Galleries The Galleries have a selection of original paintings, principally by Cornish artists.

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