Perranporth

Village in Cornwall, England, 9 km/6 mi northwest of Truro; population of Perranzabuloe parish, of which it is the principal centre of population, (1991) 4,900. It has a 4.8 km/3 mi stretch of sandy beach.

St Piran's Oratory, a chapel built in the 5th century, was discovered in 1835 after being buried in sand for centuries, and is now enclosed in a concrete shell for preservation. A second church, built here in about 1150, was also enveloped in sand. The present parish church was erected in 1804, more than 3 km/2 mi inland, largely from parts removed from the 12th-century church.