St Anthony Head

St Anthony Head is a National Trust property at the southern tip of the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall. It overlooks Carrick Roads, one of the world’s largest natural harbours, and the estuary of the River Fal. The site preserves the late-19th-century St Anthony Battery, built to defend the estuary. The headland forms part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest that stretches from Carricknath Point to Porthbean Beach. At the tip stands St Anthony’s Lighthouse, guiding vessels into the harbour. The headland is also known for the wreck of the Empire Tavistock, a 798-tonne coastal tanker launched in 1945. Renamed several times, it ran aground at Greeb Point in December 1961. Refloated by the tide, it drifted and grounded again at Veryan Beach before capsizing and becoming a total loss. The wreck’s remains lie close to the shore, visible at low tide. Visitors follow a coastal path that leads to the lighthouse and offers wide views across Carrick Roads. The battery’s gun emplacements and tunnels can still be explored. Wildflowers and seabirds thrive on the cliffs, while the shingle beach below is reached by a steep path. The lighthouse itself is a prominent landmark, marking the entrance to the harbour.