Polly Joke

Polly Joke, also known as Porth Joke, is a small cove on the north Cornwall coast between Crantock and Holywell Bay, just outside Newquay. It has a very different feel from the busier town beaches nearby: no big seafront, no built-up backdrop, just sand, cliffs, fields and Atlantic water.

The beach sits below West Pentire and changes noticeably with the tide. At lower water, the sand opens out and the shape of the cove becomes much clearer, with steep sides, small adjoining coves and clear water around the edges. In late spring and early summer, the surrounding fields and cliff tops are also known for their wildflowers, adding to the quieter, more natural character of the area.

This collection focuses on Polly Joke from above: the shape of the main beach, the smaller coves beside it, and the colour changes in the water where sand, rock and shallow sea meet. Compared with some of the wider Newquay views, these images are more contained and stripped back — beach shape, cliff edge, clear water and the tucked-away setting of one of the area’s less developed coves.