Coverack

Coverack (Cornish: Porthkovrek,^[1] meaning cove of the stream) is a coastal village and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It lies in the parish of St Keverne, on the east side of the Lizard peninsula about nine miles (14 km) south of Falmouth.^[2]

Coverack has several hotels and a youth hostel.^[3] The area is a centre for watersports, particularly wind surfing, sailing and diving. The nearby rocks known as the Manacles have been the site of many shipwrecks and as a consequence are now a favourite diving destination.

History[edit]

St Peter's Church[edit]

St Peter's was consecrated on 20 August 1885 by the Bishop of Truro. The church overlooks the cove on land donated by Mr Trevennen and cost £500. Built in the Early English style, the footings are in local granite, the walls of red, Bridgewater brick, with the dressings of Breage granite.^[6] The village hall was built in 1885.^[7]

Coverack lifeboat[edit]

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stationed a lifeboat at Coverack in 1901 following the wreck of the SS Mohegan on The Manacles in 1898 with the loss of more than 100 lives. A boat house with a slipway was built on the harbour. The all-weather lifeboat was withdrawn in May 1972 and replaced by a D-class inshore inflatable. The station was closed completely in October 1978 following the allocation of a faster boat to Falmouth Lifeboat Station.^[8]

July 2017 flash flood[edit]

On 18 July 2017 the village was hit by a flash flood.^[11] Roads were blocked and hailstones the size of 50 pence pieces (30 mm) smashed windows. Heavy rainfall hit at about 15:00 BST. The coastguard was needed to airlift two people who were trapped on the roof of a house.