THE dramatic cliffs west of Boscastle in North Cornwall were extensively quarried for several centuries and former slate workings are still visible on the coast.

Other features include the towering Grower Rock, Short Island, Firebeacon Hill, Long Island and Ladies Window, these being on the coast of the Trevalga parish. Short Island and Long Island, either side of Firebeacon Hill, are home to seabird colonies with pairs of puffins sometimes seen.

The remarkable Ladies Window is a natural archway in a dramatic setting on cliffs to the north of the Trevalga hamlet, the rock formation indeed offering a window on the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

Despite its quiet appearance, Trevalga was the scene of protests that made national news in recent years. For over six decades, following the death of Gerald Curgenven who had owned the manor of Trevalga, much of the coastal hamlet was held by a charitable trust. Among the aims of the trust were preserving the hamlet from development and also prioritising tenancies for local people, with one generation following on from another in a number of cases.

This approach meant Trevalga kept its character in a way many other communities in Cornwall did not. However, over time the trust decided to sell the estate to a property group prompting a determined but ultimately unsuccessful campaign of opposition by tenants that was dubbed the Battle of Trevalga.

Meanwhile, the ancient square-towered parish church in the hamlet stands largely unchanging. The church is dedicated to St Petroc with the earliest recorded rectors being from the 12th century. An early wheel-headed waycross cross in the churchyard is even older, being thought to date from the eighth century, though it doesn’t stand in its original position.

• 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