Future expansion of the airport

Looking over the ramp at some of the airlines that serve NQY in Summer 2007The new terminal extension has increased the terminal size by 20%, and was opened in 2006. This means the airport can handle as many as 450,000 passengers a year. The airport is continuing to grow, due to popularity and increased flights, now known to be one of the fastest growing regional facilities in the UK. In January 2008, Cornwall County Council approved plans for an expanded arrivals hall and departure lounge; a new retail outlet; a business lounge and new airfield structures CAA, which were needed to gain the civil license. In May 2008, the new arrivals and baggage reclaim area was opened; now allowing both domestic and international flights to simultaneously be processed unlike the old arrivals hall. This also added a gate to the departures lounge.

The expansion of the airport has been criticised by a number of environmental groups. This opposition is based not only on environmental concerns (given that the majority of flights are short-haul and to destinations that could be served by rail), but also socio-economic concerns that airport expansion will lead to a greater demand for second homes in Cornwall, adding to already inflated local house prices.[3]

In November 2008, amidst the airport troubles, Newquay Airport released their draft master plan; outlying their plans for the airport until 2030.[4]


The new control tower at Newquay Cornwall Airport as of 29 July 2008.[edit] History of the airfield and the RAF withdrawal
The airfield was originally opened in 1933 as a civilian facility, but was requisitioned at the outbreak of World War II and named RAF Trebelzue to support other bases in the Cornwall area. The base was then renamed RAF St Mawgan 1943, after expansion. The facility was then handed to the USAAF where a number of improvements took place, including the building of a new control tower and expansion of the current runway. The airfield was then put under maintenance in 1947, and reopened as a Coastal Command base in 1951. Since 1951, the base has seen various squadrons based; including 22 Sqn., 203 Sqn. 220 Sqn. (later renamed 201), 228 Sqn. (later renamed 206), both Long Range Reconnaissance Squadrons, 42 Sqn., 7 Sqn., 2625 Sqn (Royal Auxiliary Air Force) and 1 Sqn. (RAF Regiment) - the latter two have since been disbanded, with the others relocated or closed. In 2005, RAF St Mawgan was one of the bases shortlisted to house the new Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) in 2013, but in November 2005, it was announced by Minister of State for the Armed Forces Adam Ingram, that the operation would be based from Scotland. Helicopter maintenance (HMF) also ceased here in late 2006.

The flying operations at the RAF St Mawgan, (on the opposite side of the runway to the civil terminal) ceased in December 2008.

[edit] Transition to fully civilian airport
In late 2008 the airport closed for the period from 1 December until 19 December. This was to allow extra time for the take over the airfield navigation services (i.e. Air Traffic Control/Fire Services) from RAF St Mawgan and to fully meet CAA standards. Following further inspections by the CAA, flights recommenced on 20 December 2008. By virtue a recent Statutory Instrument issued on 22nd September 2009, Newquay Airport will from the coming in force of this instrument on 1st November 2009 be subject to current airport byelaws, as per Section 63 of the Airports Act 1986[5]

[edit] Passenger fee
In 2006 the airport introduced a £5 per passenger airport development fee, payable by all departing passengers via an ATM type machine prior to passing security.[6] This resulted in Monarch Airlines axing its route from the airport (to Málaga) and Ryanair reducing the number of flights, though this was later restored.

[edit] Airlines and destinations
Airlines Destinations
Air Southwest Bristol, Cork, Dublin, Glasgow-International, Grenoble [seasonal], Leeds/Bradford, London-City, London-Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne
Bmibaby East Midlands [begins 28 May], Manchester [seasonal]
Flybe Edinburgh [seasonal], Isle of Man [seasonal], London-Gatwick
Isles of Scilly Skybus Isles of Scilly, Saint-Brieuc
Jet2.com Belfast-International [seasonal],Leeds/Bradford [seasonal]
Lufthansa Regional operated by Eurowings Düsseldorf [seasonal]
Ryanair Alicante, London Stansted [restarts 28 March]

[edit] See also
Newquay Cornwall Airport Fire and Rescue Service
[edit] References
^ Newquay - EGHQ
^ UK Airport Statistics: 2008 - annual
^ Groundswell Cornwall, Newquay Airport The Case Examined, revised October 2007. Accessed February 9, 2008.
^ The Newquay Cornwall Airport Draft Masterplan
^ The Airports Byelaws (Designation) Order SI 2576/2009
^ Airport Development Fee
[edit] External links
Newquay Cornwall Airport - Official website
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Categories: Airports in Cornwall
Hidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements from October 2007

A car rental or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time (generally ranging from a few hours to a few weeks) for a fee. It is an elaborate form of a rental shop, often organized with numerous local branches (which allow a user to return a vehicle to a different location), and primarily located near airports or busy city areas and often complemented by a website allowing online reservations.

Car rental agencies primarily serve people who have a car that is temporarily out of reach or out of service, for example travellers who are out of town or owners of damaged or destroyed vehicles who are awaiting repair or insurance compensation. Because of the variety of sizes of their vehicles, car rental agencies may also serve the self-moving industry needs, by renting vans or trucks, and in certain markets other types of vehicles such as motorcycles or scooters may also be offered.

Alongside the basic rental of a vehicle, car rental agencies typically also offer extra products such as insurance, global positioning satellite (GPS) navigation systems, entertainment systems, and even such things as mobile phones.

 

Car rental companies operate by purchasing or leasing a number of fleet vehicles and renting them to their customers for a fee. Rental fleets can be structured in several ways – they can be owned outright (these are known as ‘risk vehicles’ because the car rental operator is taking a risk on how much the vehicle will be sold for when it is removed from service), they can be leased, or they can be owned under a guaranteed buy-back program arranged directly through a manufacturer or manufacturer’s financial arm (these are known as ‘repurchase vehicles’ because the manufacturer outlines the exact price of original sale and of repurchase at the end of a defined term).[1]

At the end of a rental vehicle's useful life, rental companies will often sell them into the used car market to dealers across the country via several methods, including direct-to-dealer and via specialized wholesale auctions companies (such as Manheim Auctions in the USA). Dealers generally will go through an inspection of the vehicles to make sure they comply with the safety standards of that dealership and then sell the car to the public. Many of these are known as program vehicles in the representation by the selling dealer.[citation needed]

[edit] Rental conditions
Car rentals are subject to many conditions which vary from one brand to another. The vehicle must be returned in a good condition and must not exceed a maximum driven distance, otherwise extra fees may be incurred. Additionally, some companies set a minimum age for the vehicle driver, which in some cases is as high as 25, even in countries where the minimum legal age to hold a driver's license is much lower. In all cases a valid, current driver's license is required in order to rent a vehicle.

Recent conditions have utilized GPS technology to limit maximum speeds [2] or driving to specific regions. Renewable fuel vehicles are available in certain areas.[3]

The vast majority of car rental companies require the use of a credit card to make it easier for them to trace a person should they attempt to steal a car, or to charge additional fees at will if a defect is later found with the car.

[edit] Insurance / Waivers
It is typical, when renting a car, to be offered various forms of supplemental insurance and/or waivers as an optional extra at additional cost. There are several types of coverage:

Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) - sometimes also referred to as Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) - covers the costs of damage to a vehicle in the event of an accident. In some countries the purchase of LDW covers all costs after an "excess" fee has been paid (e.g. all costs are covered after the first $500). Often a "Super" insurance product may be available which makes this excess amount zero. Note that LDW/CDW coverage is not insurance and does not offer the same coverage as a damage insurance policy [4].
Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI) - a product often sold in the USA which provides coverage in the event of an accident causing bodily injury or property damage to someone other than the renter and passengers.
Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)- covers medical costs and accidental death for the renter and passengers in the event of an accident during the rental.
Personal Effects Coverage (PEC) - insures against risk of loss or damage to the personal belongings of the renter (and sometimes the members of the renter's family while traveling with the renter) during the period of the rental.
Excess Insurance - When a car is hired in the UK, Ireland, Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and most of the Middle and Far East, CDW, Theft and Third Party Liability are generally included in the car rental price. There is almost always an Excess (also referred to as Super CDW, Non Waiver or Deductible) on the CDW and Theft portions of the rental. The Excess can range from about £500 to £1,600 and is the portion of the loss that that the renter is responsible for, regardless of which supplemental insurance / waiver products have been purchased. Excess is just starting to be charged in the USA, it is sometimes charged in Canada, and it is generally charged in the Caribbean, Central and South America. Excess insurance is a secondary insurance (only in place with the CDW and SLI cover) and provides coverage to the renter for the excess amount.[5]
In the USA, the sale of these supplemental insurance/waiver products may be regulated by each states' insurance departments and a special limited license may be required by the rental company in order to sell them. [6] The specific coverage offered can differ substantially depending on the State or Country in which the car is rented.

[edit] Car classification
To allow for a uniform classification and easy comparison of car rental prices, the Association of Car Rental Industry Systems and Standards (ACRISS) has developed the ACRISS Car Classification Code coding system. This describes the size, door count, gearbox type
Cornwall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Cornwall (disambiguation).
Cornwall
Kernow

Flag
Motto of County Council: Onen hag oll (Cornish)
One and all

Geography
Status Ceremonial county & (smaller) Unitary district
Origin Historic
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 12th
3,563 km2 (1,376 sq mi)
Ranked 2nd
3,546 km2 (1,369 sq mi)
Admin HQ Truro
ISO 3166-2 GB-CON
ONS code 00HE
NUTS 3 UKK30
Demography
Population
- Total (2008 est.[1])
- Density
- Admin. council Ranked 39th
534,300
150 /km2 (388/sq mi)
Ranked 4th
Ethnicity 99.0% White, 1% Other
Politics

Cornwall Council
http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/
Executive Liberal Democrat
Members of Parliament 5[show]
Colin Breed (LD)
Andrew George (LD)
Julia Goldsworthy (LD)
Dan Rogerson (LD)
Matthew Taylor (LD)
Districts
Cornwall Council (unitary)
Isles of Scilly (sui generis unitary)

Cornwall (pronounced /ˈkɔrnwɔːl/, Cornish: Kernow [ˈkɛrnɔʊ]) is a county of England in the United Kingdom, forming the tip of the south-western peninsula of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Taken with the Isles of Scilly Cornwall has a population of 534,300, and covers an area of 3,563 km2 (1,376 sq mi).[1][2] The administrative centre and only city is Truro.

The area now known as Cornwall was first inhabited in the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods. It continued to be occupied by Neolithic and then Bronze Age peoples, and later (in the Iron Age) by Celts. There is little evidence that Roman rule was effective west of Exeter and few Roman remains have been found. Cornwall was afterwards part of the Brythonic (Celtic) area of Dumnonia, separated from Wales after the Battle of Deorham, often coming into conflict with the expanding English kingdom of Wessex before King Athelstan in 936 A.D. set the boundary between English and Cornish people at the Tamar.[3] Today, Cornwall's economy struggles after the decline of the mining and fishing industries, and has become more dependent on tourism: however some decline in this has also occurred.[clarification needed] The area is noted for its wild moorland landscapes, its extensive and varied coastline and its mild climate.

Cornwall is recognised as one of the "Celtic nations" by many Cornish people, residents and organisations.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10] It retains a distinct cultural identity, reflecting its history, and modern use of the formerly extinct Cornish language is increasing.[11] Some people question the present constitutional status of Cornwall, and a self-government movement seeks greater autonomy within the UK.[12]

Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Prehistory, Roman and post-Roman periods
2.2 Conflict with Wessex
2.3 Norman period
2.4 Later medieval administration and society
3 Christianity in Cornwall
3.1 The Church in Cornwall in Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times
3.2 The Middle Ages
3.3 Religious history from the Reformation to the Victorian period
4 Physical geography
4.1 The north and south coasts
4.2 Inland areas
4.3 The Lizard Peninsula
4.4 Ecology
4.5 Climate
5 Politics and administration
5.1 Cornish political parties
5.2 The question of Cornwall's constitutional status
5.2.1 Contemporary political parties
6 Settlements and communication
7 Flag
8 Economy
8.1 Tourism
8.2 Other industries
9 Demographics
10 Languages and dialects
10.1 Cornish language
10.2 English dialect
11 Culture
11.1 Visual arts
11.2 Music and festivals
11.3 Fiction
11.4 Poetry
11.5 Other literary works
11.6 Sports and games
11.7 Surfing and other water sports
11.8 Indoor games
11.9 Cuisine
12 References
13 Further reading
14 External links


[edit] Etymology

"Cornweallas" in the Anglo-Saxon ChronicleThe name Cornwall comes from combining two different terms from separate languages. The Roman term for the Celtic tribe which inhabited what is now Cornwall at the time of Roman rule in Britain, Cornovii, came from a Brythonic tribal name which gave modern Cornish Kernow, also known as Corneu to the Brythons.[13] This could be from either of two sources; the common Celtic root cern, or the Latin cornu, both of which mean "horn" or "peninsula", suggestive of the shape of Cornwall's landmass. There is a problem with this theory however. At least two other known Celtic tribes bore the name Cornovii, one tribe in Caithness which may also be considered a "headland" or "horn-land", yet another, the principal tribe known to the Romans as Cornovii lived in the West Midlands and Powys areas, calling into question the derivation of the name from a peninsula (however Celtic tribes were not necessarily permanently settled and the Latin forms may be based on different British names).[14] Another theory suggests that the name of the Cornovii tribes may well be connected to totemic worship of the "horned god" such as the Gaulish Cernunnos or a similar totemic cult. Nevertheless, the Cornovii were sufficiently established in the present day area recognised as Cornwall for their territory to be recorded as Cornubia by AD 700, and remained as such into the Middle Ages. The Ravenna Cosmography, of around 700, makes reference to Purocoronavis, (almost certainly a corruption of Durocornovium), 'a fort or walled settlement of the Cornovii', (unidentified, but possibly Tintagel or Carn Brea).[15][16]

During the 6th and 7th centuries, the name Cornubia became corrupted by extensive changes in the Old English language.[17] The Anglo-Saxons provided the suffix wealas, meaning "foreigners", creating the term Corn-wealas. Some historians note that this was the word for Wales, however it is understood that the term applied instead to all Brythonic peoples and lands, who were considered foreign by the Anglo-Saxons. As Cornwall was known as West Wales (as being west of Wessex) and present-day Cumbria as North Wales during those times, the "Wales" meaning is probable: this is because the word 'wealhas' is Anglo-Saxon for foreigners.

[edit] History
Main articles: History of Cornwall and Timeline of Cornish history

Mên-an-Tol.[edit] Prehistory, Roman and post-Roman periods
See also: Dumnonia and Kingdom of Cornwall
The present human history of Cornwall begins with the reoccupation of Britain after the last Ice Age. During the British Iron Age Cornwall, like all of Britain south of the Firth of Forth, was inhabited by the Celtic people known as the Britons. The Celtic British language spoken at the time eventually developed into several distinct tongues, including Cornish.[15] The first account of Cornwall comes from the Sicilian Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (c.90 BC–ca. 30 BC), supposedly quoting or paraphrasing the fourth-century BC geographer Pytheas, who had sailed to Britain:

The inhabitants of that part of Britain called Belerion (or Land's End) from their intercourse with foreign merchants, are civilised in their manner of life. They prepare the tin, working very carefully the earth in which it is produced ... Here then the merchants buy the tin from the natives and carry it over to Gaul, and after travelling overland for about thirty days, they finally bring their loads on horses to the mouth of the Rhône.

– [18]


Celtic tribes of Southern BritainThe identity of these merchants is unknown. There has been a theory that they were Phoenicians, however there is no evidence for this.[19] (For further discussion of tin mining see the section on the economy below.)

There is a theory that once silver was extracted from the copper ores of Cornwall in pre-Roman times, as silver is easily converted to its chloride (AgCl) by surface waters containing chlorine.[20] After a period of Roman rule, Cornwall reverted to independent Celtic chieftains.

[edit] Conflict with Wessex
The chronology of English dominance over Cornwall is unclear. In the 8th century Cornwall came into conflict with the expanding kingdom of Wessex. There are no recorded charters or legal agreements showing Cornwall as part of Wessex.[21] Furthermore, there is little economic, military, social, cultural or archaeological evidence that Wessex established control over Cornwall, although some historians, notably Michael Swanton,[22] and Malcolm Todd[23] assert to the contrary.

The Annales Cambriae report that in 722 AD the Britons of Cornwall won a battle at Hehil. Annales Cambriae However, it is not stated whether the Cornish fought the West Saxons or some other enemy. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states in 815 (adjusted date) "& þy geare gehergade Ecgbryht cyning on West Walas from easteweardum oþ westewearde."..."and in this year king Ecgbryht raided in Cornwall from east to west." and thenceforth apparently held it as a ducatus or dukedom annexed to his regnum or kingdom of Wessex, but not wholly incorporated with it.[24] The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles states that in 825 (adjusted date) a battle was fought involving the "Welsh", presumably those of Cornwall, and the Defnas (men of Devon). It only states:- "The Westwealas (Cornish) and the Defnas (men of Devon) fought at Gafulforda". However, there is no mention of who won or who lost, whether the men of Cornwall and Devon were fighting each other or on the same side, and no mention of Egbert. This is the only record of this battle. In the same year Ecgbert, as a later document phrases it, "disposed of their territory as it seemed fit to him, giving a tenth part of it to God." In other words he incorporated Cornwall ecclesiastically with the West Saxon diocese of Sherborne, and endowed Ealhstan, his fighting bishop, who took part in the campaign, with an extensive Cornish estate consisting of Callington and Lawhitton, both in the Tamar valley, and Pawton near Padstow.

In 838, the Cornish and their Danish allies were defeated by Egbert at Hengestesdune (Anglo-Saxon Chronicles): an unknown location (various places have been suggested over the years from Hengistbury Head in Dorset, Hingston Down, Devon to Hingston Down in Cornwall). Around the 880s Anglo-Saxons from Wessex had established modest land holdings in the eastern part of Cornwall, notably Alfred the Great had acquired a few estates.[25] William of Malmesbury, writing around 1120, says that King Athelstan of England (924–939) fixed the boundary between English and Cornish people at the east bank of the River Tamar.

[edit] Norman period
One interpretation of the Domesday Book is that by this time the native Cornish landowning class had been almost completely dispossessed and replaced by English landowners, the largest of whom was Harold Godwinson himself. However, this is highly questionable: The Bodmin manumissions show that two leading Cornish figures, nominally had Saxon names, but these were both glossed with native Cornish names. This suggests that Saxon names in Cornwall indicate not ethnicity, but preferences in naming, perhaps as means to establish membership of a pro-Saxon ruling class.

However, after the Norman conquest most of the land was seized and transferred into the hands of a new Breton-Norman aristocracy, with the lion's share going to Robert, Count of Mortain, half-brother of King William and the largest landholder in England after the king.[26] Ultimately this aristocracy eventually became a Cornu-Norman ruling class, a phenomenon closely resembling the situation in the rest of England, and later in Ireland.

[edit] Later medieval administration and society
Subsequently however, Norman absentee landlords became replaced by a new Cornu-Norman elite. These families eventually became the new ruling class of Cornwall (typically speaking Norman French, Cornish, Latin and eventually English), many becoming involved in the operation of the Stannary Parliament system, Earldom and eventually the Duchy.[27] The Cornish language continued to be spoken and it acquired a number of characteristics establishing its identity as a separate language from Breton. Cornwall showed a very different type of settlement pattern from that of Saxon Wessex and places continued, even after 1066, to be named in the Celtic Cornish tradition with Saxon architecture being uncommon. The earliest record for any Anglo-Saxon place-names west of the Tamar is around 1040: they are particularly noticeable in the north-east of the county.[15]

[edit] Christianity in Cornwall
Main article: Christianity in Cornwall
See also: List of Cornish saints
Many place names in Cornwall are associated with Christian missionaries described as coming from Ireland and Wales in the fifth century AD and usually called saints (See List of Cornish saints). The historicity of some of these missionaries is problematic[28] and it has been pointed out by Canon Doble that it was customary in the Middle Ages to ascribe such geographic origins to saints.[29] Some of these saints are not included in the early lists of saints.[30]

St Piran, after whom Perranporth is named, is generally regarded as the patron saint of Cornwall.[31] However in earlier times it is likely that St Michael the Archangel was recognized as the patron saint and the title has also been claimed for St Petroc.

[edit] The Church in Cornwall in Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times
The church in Cornwall until the time of Athelstan of Wessex observed more or less orthodox practices, being completely separate from the Anglo-Saxon church until then (and perhaps later). The See of Cornwall continued until much later: Bishop Conan apparently in place previously, but (re-?)consecrated in 931 AD by Athelstan. However, it is unclear whether he was the sole Bishop for Cornwall or the leading Bishop in the area. The situation in Cornwall may have been somewhat similar to Wales where each major religious house corresponded to a cantref (this has the same meaning as Cornish kevrang) both being under the supervision of a Bishop.[32] However if this was so the status of kevrangow before the time of King Athelstan is not recorded.

[edit] The Middle Ages
It is notable that in Cornwall that most of the parish churches in existence in Norman times were generally not in the larger settlements and that the medieval towns which developed thereafter usually had only a chapel of ease with the right of burial remaining at the ancient parish church.[33] Over a hundred holy wells exist in Cornwall, each associated with a particular saint, though not always the same one as the dedication of the church.[34][35]

Various kinds of religious houses existed in medieval Cornwall though none of them were nunneries; the benefices of the parishes were in many cases appropriated to religious houses within Cornwall or elsewhere in England or France.[36]

[edit] Religious history from the Reformation to the Victorian period
In the sixteenth century there was some violent resistance to the replacement of Catholicism with Protestantism in the Prayer Book Rebellion.[37]. The Cornish, amongst other reasons, objected to the English language Book of Common Prayer, protesting that the English language was still unknown to many at the time. The Prayer Book Rebellion was a cultural and social disaster for Cornwall, the reprisals taken by the forces of the Crown have been estimated to account for 10-11% of the civilian population of Cornwall. Culturally speaking, it saw the beginning of the slow "death" of Cornish language.

From the early nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century Methodism was the leading form of Christianity in Cornwall but is now in decline.[38][39] The Church of England was in the majority from the reign of Queen Elizabeth until the Methodist revival of the 19th century: before the Wesleyan missions dissenters were very few in Cornwall. The county remained within the Diocese of Exeter until 1876 when the Anglican Diocese of Truro was created[40][41](the first Bishop was appointed in 1877). Roman Catholicism was virtually extinct in Cornwall after the 17th century except for a few families such as the Arundells of Lanherne. From the mid-19th century the church reestablished episcopal sees in England, one of these being at Plymouth.[42] Since then immigration to Cornwall has brought more Roman Catholics into the population.

[edit] Physical geography
Main articles: Geography of Cornwall and Geology of Cornwall

Satellite image of CornwallCornwall forms the tip of the south-west peninsula of the island of Great Britain, and is therefore exposed to the full force of the prevailing winds that blow in from the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline is composed mainly of resistant rocks that give rise in many places to impressive cliffs. Cornwall has a border with only one other county, Devon.

[edit] The north and south coasts
The north and south coasts have different characteristics. The north coast is more exposed and therefore has a wilder nature. The prosaically named High Cliff, between Boscastle and St Gennys, is the highest sheer-drop cliff in Cornwall at 223 metres (730 ft) [43]. However, there are also many extensive stretches of fine golden sand which form the beaches that are so important to the tourist industry, such as those at Bude, Polzeath, Watergate Bay, Perranporth, Porthtowan, Fistral Beach, Newquay, St Agnes, St Ives, and on the south coast Gyllyngvase beach in Falmouth. There are two river estuaries on the north coast: Hayle Estuary and the estuary of the River Camel, which provides Padstow and Rock with a safe harbour. The south coast, dubbed the "riviera", is more sheltered and there are several broad estuaries offering safe anchorages, such as at Falmouth and Fowey. Beaches on the south coast usually consist of coarser sand and shingle, interspersed with rocky sections of wave-cut platform.


St Michael's Mount in Marazion.[edit] Inland areas
The interior of the county consists of a roughly east-west spine of infertile and exposed upland, with a series of granite intrusions, such as Bodmin Moor, which contains the highest land within Cornwall. From east to west, and with approximately descending altitude, these are Bodmin Moor, the area north of St Austell, the area south of Camborne, and the Penwith or Land's End peninsula. These intrusions are the central part of the granite outcrops of south-west Britain, which include Dartmoor to the east in Devon and the Isles of Scilly to the west, the latter now being partially submerged.


Cornwall is known for its beaches and rugged coastline.The intrusion of the granite into the surrounding sedimentary rocks gave rise to extensive metamorphism and mineralization, and this led to Cornwall being one of the most important mining areas in Europe until the early 20th century. It is thought Tin was mined here as early as the Bronze Age, and copper, lead, zinc and silver have all been mined in Cornwall. Alteration of the granite also gave rise to extensive deposits of China Clay, especially in the area to the north of St Austell, and the extraction of this remains an important industry.

The uplands are surrounded by more fertile, mainly pastoral farmland. Near the south coast, deep wooded valleys provide sheltered conditions for flora that like shade and a moist, mild climate. These areas lie mainly on Devonian sandstone and slate. The north east of Cornwall lies on Carboniferous rocks known as the Culm Measures. In places these have been subjected to severe folding, as can be seen on the north coast near Crackington Haven and in several other locations.

[edit] The Lizard Peninsula
The geology of the Lizard peninsula is unusual, in that it is mainland Britain's only example of an ophiolite, a section of oceanic crust now found on land.[44] Much of the peninsula consists of the dark green and red Precambrian serpentine rock, which forms spectacular cliffs, notably at Kynance Cove, and carved and polished serpentine ornaments are sold in local gift shops. This ultramafic rock also forms a very infertile soil which covers the flat and marshy heaths of the interior of the peninsula. This is home to rare plants, such as the Cornish Heath, which has been adopted as the county flower.[45]

[edit] Ecology
See also: Flora and fauna of Cornwall
Cornwall has varied habitats including terrestrial and marine ecosystems. One of the lower plant forms in decline locally is the Reindeer lichen, which species has been made a priority for protection under the national UK Biodiversity Action Plan. [46][47]


Red-billed chough: P. p. pyrrhocoraxThe birds of the coast are well worth observing: in 1935 an anonymous writer on Tintagel mentions Willapark as the scene of spectacular flocks of seabirds (eight species); inland he describes the crows (including the Cornish chough and the raven) and falcons which frequent the district. 'E.M.S.' contributes: "Within easy reach of Tintagel at least 385 varieties of flowers, 30 kinds of grasses, and 16 of ferns can be found ... a 'happy hunting ground' for botanists" and a list of thirty-nine of the rarest is given.[48] (by the 1950s there were no longer choughs to be seen). This bird is emblematic of Cornwall and is also said to embody the spirit of King Arthur. B. H. Ryves mentions the razorbill as numerous at Tintagel (perhaps the largest colony in the county) and summarises reports from earlier in the century.[49]

Botanists divide Cornwall and Scilly into two vice-counties: West (1) and East (2). The standard flora is by F. H. Davey Flora of Cornwall (1909). Davey was assisted by A. O. Hume and he thanks Hume, his companion on excursions in Cornwall and Devon, and for help in the compilation of that Flora, publication of which was financed by him.

[edit] Climate
Cornwall is the southernmost part of Britain, and therefore has a relatively warm and sunny climate. Winters are mild, and frost and snow are very rare away from the central upland areas. The average annual temperature for most of Cornwall is 9.8 to 12 degrees Celsius (49.6 to 53.6 °F), with slightly lower temperatures at higher altitude.[50] Cornwall is exposed to mild, moist westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean and has relatively high rainfall, though less than more northern areas of the west coast of Britain, at 1051 to 1290 mm (41.4 to 50.8 in) per year.[51] Most of Cornwall enjoys over 1541 hours of sunshine per year.[52]




[hide]Weather data for Truro, Cornwall
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average high °C (°F) 8
(46) 8
(46) 10
(50) 12
(54) 15
(59) 17
(63) 19
(66) 19
(66) 17
(63) 14
(57) 11
(52) 9
(48)
Average low °C (°F) 5
(41) 4
(39) 5
(41) 6
(43) 8
(46) 11
(52) 13
(55) 14
(57) 12
(54) 10
(50) 7
(45) 6
(43)
Precipitation mm (inches) 81
(3.19) 63
(2.48) 49
(1.93) 54
(2.13) 40
(1.57) 47
(1.85) 48
(1.89) 51
(2.01) 57
(2.24) 87
(3.43) 87
(3.43) 78
(3.07)
Source: Foreca[53] 2008

[edit] Politics and administration
Main article: Politics of Cornwall

TRURORedruthFalmouthPenzanceSt IvesHayleCamborneHelstonNewquaySt AustellBodminWadebridgeSaltashLiskeardLauncestonBudeMajor settlements of CornwallWith the exception of the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall is now governed by a unitary authority known as the Cornwall Council based in Truro. Cornwall's Courts of Justice are also located in Truro.

The Isles of Scilly form part of the ceremonial county of Cornwall and have, at times, been served by the same county administration. However, since 1890, they have been administered by their own unitary authority, now known as the Council of the Isles of Scilly. They are still grouped with Cornwall for other administrative purposes, such as the National Health Service and Devon and Cornwall Police.[54][55][56]

Prior to reorganisation on 1 April 2009, council functions throughout the rest of Cornwall were organised on a two-tier basis, with a county council and district councils for the six districts of Caradon, Carrick, Kerrier, North Cornwall, Penwith, and Restormel. While projected to streamline services, cut red tape and save around £17 million a year, the reorganisation was met with wide opposition, with a poll in 2008 giving a result of 89% disapproval from Cornish residents.[57][58][59]

The first elections for the new unitary authority were held on 4 June 2009. The new council has 123 seats; the largest party is the Conservative Party with 50, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 38, Independents with 32 and Mebyon Kernow with 3 seats.[60]

Prior to the creation of the new unitary council, the former county council had 82 seats, the majority of which were held by the Liberal Democrats, elected at the 2005 county council elections. The six former districts in Cornwall had a total of 249 council seats, and the numerically largest groups represented on them were Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, and Independents.

Cornwall currently elects five MPs to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, all of whom are Liberal Democrats as from the 2005 general election. A reshuffle of parliamentary boundaries will create a sixth parliamentary constituency in Cornwall which will be fought for the first time at the next British general election due in 2010. Until 1832, Cornwall had 44 MPs-–more than any other county-–reflecting the importance of tin to the Crown.[61] Most of the increase came between 1529 and 1584 after which there was no change until 1832.[62] The chief registered parties contesting elections in Cornwall are Conservatives, Greens, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Mebyon Kernow, Liberal Party and the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). In July 2007, Conservative leader David Cameron appointed Mark Prisk to the newly-created post of Shadow Minister for Cornwall.[63]


Cornwall Council's headquarters in TruroThere is a growing call within Cornwall for greater self-rule. Cornwall Council's Feb 2003 MORI poll showed 55% in favour of an elected, fully-devolved regional assembly for Cornwall and 13% against. (Previous result :46% in favour in 2002). However the poll also showed that 72% were in favour of a "South West Regional Assembly. [64] The Cornish Constitutional Convention[12] advocates the creation of a Cornish Assembly, along the lines of those for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in 2001 presented a petition to the then Prime minister, Tony Blair calling for the change. It is claimed that many of the duchy residents are calling a high degree of autonomy within England, or a split from England, creating a fifth home nation of the United Kingdom.[65] and/or a separate Cornish Development Agency, a result of discontent with the South West Regional Development Agency.

[edit] Cornish political parties
Cornish nationalists have organised into two political parties: Mebyon Kernow, formed in 1951, and the Cornish Nationalist Party. In addition to the political parties, there are various interest groups such as the Cornish Stannary Parliament and the Celtic League. In November 2000, the Cornish Constitutional Convention was formed to campaign for a Cornish Assembly. It is a cross-party organisation including representatives from the private, public, and voluntary sectors, of all political parties and none. Between 5 March 2000 and December 2001, the campaign collected the signatures of 41,650 Cornish residents endorsing the declaration for a devolved regional Cornish Assembly, along with 8,896 signatories from outside Cornwall.[12] In 2003 a MORI poll showed 55 per cent of respondents favoured establishing a regional assembly for Cornwall.[66] The campaign also has the support of all five Cornish Lib Dem MPs and Mebyon Kernow.[67]

See also: Cornish self-government movement
[edit] The question of Cornwall's constitutional status
Main article: Constitutional status of Cornwall
The question of Cornwall's constitutional status as a county of England, as established by the Local Government Act 1888, a Duchy, i.e. the Duchy of Cornwall established in 1337 by Edward III of England for his son, Edward, Prince of Wales, or another constitutional entity of the United Kingdom is a complex one. In recent years there has been cross-party recognition of the issue at least as far as the calls for a Cornish Assembly are concerned. In addition there are also groups and individuals, including Mebyon Kernow, the Cornish Constitutional Convention,[65] and John Angarrack,[68] who reject the present constitutional status of Cornwall, refuting the legality of Cornwall's current administration as a county of England, and Cornwall's relationship to the Duchy of Cornwall.

[edit] Contemporary political parties
In 2007 David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, in a departure from the Conservative Party's traditionally unionist stance, appointed Cornishman Mark Prisk as "Shadow Minister for Cornwall". The Liberal Party recognise Cornwall's claims for greater autonomy as do the Liberal Democrats.

"The new single council is also the opportunity to gain more control over local issues from regional and national
Government bureaucrats – the first step on our way to a Cornish Assembly." - The Liberal Democrat Manifesto for 2009 [2]

The Cornish civic nationalist party Mebyon Kernow also bases much of its policy on greater civic autonomy for Cornwall.

An additional political issue is the rights of the Cornish people as a minority.[69]

[edit] Settlements and communication
See also: Transport in Cornwall and Media in Cornwall

Truro, Cornwall's administrative centreCornwall's only city, and the home of the council headquarters, is Truro. Nearby Falmouth is notable as a port, while the ports at Penzance, the most westerly town in England, St Ives and Padstow have declined. Newquay on the north coast is famous for its beaches and is a popular surfing destination, as is Bude further north. St Austell is Cornwall's largest town and is interestingly larger than the capital Truro, and a centre of the china clay industry. Redruth and Camborne together form the largest urban area in Cornwall, and both towns were significant as centres of the global tin mining industry.

Cornwall borders the county of Devon at the River Tamar. Major road links between Cornwall and the rest of Great Britain are the A38 which crosses the Tamar at Plymouth via the Tamar Bridge and the town of Saltash, the A39 road (Atlantic Highway) from Barnstaple, passing through North Cornwall to end eventually in Falmouth, and the A30 which crosses the border south of Launceston. A car ferry also links Plymouth with the town of Torpoint on the opposite side of the Hamoaze. A rail bridge, the Royal Albert Bridge, built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1859) provides the only other major transport link. The major city of Plymouth being the nearest large urban centre to east Cornwall makes it an important location for such services as hospitals, department stores, road and rail transport, and cultural venues.

Newquay Airport provides an airlink to the rest of the UK, Ireland and Europe.

Cardiff and Swansea, across the Bristol Channel, are connected to Cornwall by ferry, usually to Padstow. Swansea in particular has several boat companies who can arrange boat trips to north Cornwall, which allow the traveller to pass by the north Cornish coastline, including Tintagel Castle and Padstow harbour. Very occasionally, the Waverley and Balmoral paddle steamers cruise from Swansea or Bristol to Padstow.

The Isles of Scilly are served by ferry (from Penzance), helicopter (Penzance Heliport) and fixed wing aeroplane (Land's End Airport, near St Just) and from Newquay Airport. Further flights to St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly, are available from Exeter International Airport in Devon.

[edit] Flag
Main article: Saint Piran's Flag

Souvenir flags outside a Cornish caféSaint Piran's Flag is regarded as the national flag of Cornwall, and an emblem of the Cornish people; and by others as the county flag. The banner of Saint Piran is a white cross on a black background. Saint Piran is supposed to have adopted these two colours from seeing the white tin in the black coals and ashes during his supposed discovery of tin. Davies Gilbert in 1826 described it as anciently the flag of St Piran and the banner of Cornwall,[70] and another history of 1880 said that: "The white cross of St. Piran was the ancient banner of the Cornish people." The Cornish flag is an exact reverse of the former Breton national flag (black cross) and is known by the same name " Kroaz Du".

There are also claims that the patron saint of Cornwall is Saint Michael or Saint Petroc, but Saint Piran is by far the most popular of the three and his emblem is internationally[71][72] recognised as the flag of Cornwall. St Piran's Day (5 March) is celebrated by the Cornish diaspora around the world.

[edit] Economy
Main article: Economy of Cornwall

Falmouth Docks is the major port of Cornwall, and the third-largest natural harbour in the world.
The Eden Project, Cornwall's largest tourist attraction in terms of visitor numbersCornwall is one of the poorest areas in the United Kingdom. The GVA per head was 65% of the UK average for 2004.[73] The GDP per head for Cornwall and the Scillies was 79.2 of the EU-27 average for 2004, the UK per head average was 123.0.[74]

Historically tin mining was important in the Cornish economy. The first reference to this appears to be by Pytheas: see above. Julius Caesar was the last classical writer to mention the tin trade, which appears to have declined during the Roman occupation.[75] The tin trade revived in the Middle Ages, and the Cornish Rebellion of 1497 is attributed to tin miners.[76] In the mid-nineteenth century, however, the tin trade again fell into decline.

Cornwall is one of four UK areas that qualifies for poverty-related grants from the EU: it was granted Objective 1 status by the European Commission, followed by a further round of funding known as 'Convergence Funding'.

[edit] Tourism
Today, the Cornish economy depends heavily on its successful tourist industry, which makes up around a quarter of the economy. The official measures of deprivation and poverty at district and 'sub-ward' level show that there is great variation in poverty and prosperity in Cornwall with some areas among the poorest in England and others are among the top half in prosperity. For example, the ranking of 32,482 sub-wards in England in the index of multiple deprivation ranges from 819th (part of Penzance East) to 30, 899th (part of Saltash Burraton in Caradon), where the lower number represents the greater deprivation.[77]

Cornwall's unique culture, spectacular landscape and mild climate make it a popular tourist destination, despite being somewhat distant from the United Kingdom's main centres of population. Surrounded on three sides by the English Channel and Celtic Sea, Cornwall has many miles of beaches and cliffs. Other tourist attractions include moorland, country gardens, historic and prehistoric sites and wooded valleys. Five million tourists visit Cornwall each year, mostly drawn from within the UK.[78] Visitors to Cornwall are served by airports at Newquay and Plymouth, whilst private jets, charters and helicopters are also served by Perranporth airfield; nightsleeper and daily rail services run between Cornwall, London and other regions of the UK.

Newquay and Porthtowan are popular destinations for surfers. In recent years, the Eden Project near St Austell has been a major financial success, drawing one in eight of Cornwall's visitors.[79]

[edit] Other industries

Redruth Mine in 1890Other industries are fishing, although this has been significantly re-structured by EU fishing policies, (the Southwest Handline Fishermen's Association has started to revive the fishing industry),[80] and agriculture, which has also declined significantly. Mining of tin and copper was also an industry, but today the derelict mine workings survive only as a World Heritage Site[81] However, the Camborne School of Mines, which was relocated to Penryn in 2004, is still a world centre of excellence in the field of mining and applied geology[82] and the grant of World Heritage status has attracted funding for conservation and heritage tourism.[83] China clay extraction has also been an important industry in the St Austell area, but this sector has been in decline, and this, coupled with increased mechanisation, has led to a decrease in employment in this sector.

In recent years Cornwall's creative industries have undergone significant growth, thanks in part to Objective One funding[citation needed], as it is the only British county poor enough to receive such money. There is now a significant creative industry in Cornwall, encompassing areas like graphic design, product design, web design, packaging design, environmental design, architecture, photography, art and crafts.[citation needed]

[edit] Demographics

Graph showing Cornwall's population from 1800 to 2000Cornwall's population was 513,527 at the last count, and population density 144 people per square kilometre, ranking it 40th and 41st respectively compared with the other 47 counties of England. Cornwall has a relatively high level of population growth, however, at 11.2% in the 1980s and 5.3% in the 1990s, giving it the fifth highest population growth of the English counties.[84] The natural change has been a small population decline, and the population increase is due to immigration into Cornwall.[85] According to the 1991 census, the population was 469,800.

Cornwall has a relatively high retired population, with 22.9% of pensionable age, compared with 20.3% for the United Kingdom.[86] This may be due to a combination of Cornwall's rural and coastal geography increasing its popularity as a retirement location, and the emigration of younger residents to more economically diverse areas. Immigration of pensioners from southern England to Cornwall, and emigration of young Cornish people, are persistent concerns.

Cornwall is the homeland of the Cornish people and diaspora, and is recognised by many people and organisations—alongside Brittany, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales—as one of the six "Celtic nations", including the Celtic League, Cornish Stannary Parliament, Mebyon Kernow, Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), Celtic Congress and the BBC, and, as one of the eight Celtic nations—the other two being Asturias and Galicia—by the Isle of Man Government and the Welsh Assembly Government.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][87] Cornwall is represented, as one of the Celtic nations, at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, a celebration of Celtic culture held annually in Brittany.[88]

There is some ambiguity over how many of the people living in Cornwall consider themselves to be Cornish, since results from different surveys (including the national census) have given results varying from 7% to 79%.[citation needed] Many people in Cornwall say that this issue would be resolved if a Cornish option became available on the census.[89]

Cornwall has a comprehensive education system, with 31 state and 8 independent secondary schools. There are three FE colleges - Penwith College (a former sixth form college), Cornwall College (occupying the former home of the Camborne School of Mines) and Truro College. The Isles of Scilly only has one school while the former Restormel district has the highest school population, and school year sizes are around 200, with none above 270.

Higher education is provided by University College Falmouth, the University of Exeter (including Camborne School of Mines), the Combined Universities in Cornwall, and by Truro College, Penwith College and Cornwall College.

[edit] Languages and dialects
Both the English and Cornish languages are used in Cornwall.

[edit] Cornish language
Main article: Cornish language
The Cornish language is closely related to Welsh and Breton, and less so to Irish, Scots Gaelic and Manx. The language continued to function as a community language in parts of Cornwall until the late 18th century, and there has been a revival of the language since Henry Jenner's "Handbook of the Cornish Language" was published in 1904. A study in 2000 suggested that there were around 300 people who spoke Cornish fluently.[90] Cornish however had no legal status in the UK until 2002. Nevertheless, the language is taught in about twelve primary schools, and occasionally used in religious and civic ceremonies.[91] In 2002 Cornish was officially recognised as a UK minority language[92] and in 2005 it received limited Government funding.[93] A Standard Written Form was agreed in 2008.[94]

Several Cornish mining words are still in use in English language mining terminology, such as costean, gunnies, and vug.[95]

Two of the current Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Andrew George, MP for St Ives, and Dan Rogerson, MP for North Cornwall, repeated their Parliamentary oaths in Cornish.[96]

[edit] English dialect
See West Country dialects

[edit] Culture
Main article: Culture of Cornwall

The Tate Gallery at St Ives[edit] Visual arts
Since the 19th century, Cornwall, with its unspoilt maritime scenery and strong light, has sustained a vibrant visual art scene of international renown. Artistic activity within Cornwall was initially centred on the art-colony of Newlyn, most active at the turn of the 20th century,[97] and associated with the names: Stanhope Forbes, Elizabeth Forbes,[98] Norman Garstin and Lamorna Birch.[99] Modernist writers such as D. H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf lived in Cornwall between the wars,[100] and Ben Nicholson, the painter, having visited in the 1920s came to live in St Ives with his then wife, the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, at the outbreak of the second world war.[101] They were later joined by the Russian emigrant Naum Gabo,[102] and other artists. These included Peter Lanyon, Terry Frost, Patrick Heron, Bryan Wynter and Roger Hilton. St Ives also houses the Leach Pottery, where Bernard Leach, and his followers championed Japanese inspired studio pottery.[103] Much of this modernist work can be seen in Tate St Ives.[104] The Newlyn Society and Penwith Society of Arts continue to be active, and contemporary visual art is documented in a dedicated online journal[105].

[edit] Music and festivals
Main article: Music of Cornwall
Cornwall has a rich and vibrant folk music tradition which has survived into the present and is well-known for its unusual folk survivals such as Mummers Plays, the Furry Dance in Helston played by the famous Helston Town Band, and Obby Oss in Padstow.

As in other former mining districts of Britain, male voice choirs and Brass Bands, e.g Brass on the Grass concerts during the summer at Constantine, are still very popular in Cornwall: Cornwall also has around 40 silver bands.

Cornish players are regular participants in inter-Celtic festivals, and Cornwall itself has several lively inter-Celtic festivals such as Perranporth's Lowender Peran folk festival.[106]

On a more modern note, contemporary musician Richard D. James (also known as Aphex Twin) grew up in Cornwall, as did Luke Vibert and Alex Parks winner of Fame Academy 2003. Roger Taylor, the drummer from the band Queen was also raised in the county, and currently lives not far from Falmouth. The American singer/songwriter Tori Amos now resides predominantly in North Cornwall not far from Bude with her family.[107]

[edit] Fiction
Daphne du Maurier lived in Fowey, Cornwall and many of her novels had Cornish settings, including Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, Frenchman's Creek, My Cousin Rachel, and The House on the Strand.[108] She is also noted for writing Vanishing Cornwall. Cornwall provided the inspiration for The Birds, one of her terrifying series of short stories, made famous as a film by Alfred Hitchcock.[109] Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Devil's Foot featuring Sherlock Holmes is set in Cornwall.[110]


Remains of Tintagel Castle, legendary birthplace of mythical King ArthurMedieval Cornwall is also the setting of the trilogy by Monica Furlong, Wise Child, Juniper, and Colman, as well as part of Charles Kingsley's Hereward the Wake.

Winston Graham's series Poldark, Kate Tremayne's Adam Loveday series, Susan Cooper's novels Over Sea, Under Stone[111] and Greenwitch, and Mary Wesley's The Camomile Lawn are all set in Cornwall. Writing under the pseudonym of Alexander Kent, Douglas Reeman sets parts of his Richard Bolitho and Adam Bolitho series in the Cornwall of the late 18th and the early 19th centuries, particularly in Falmouth.

Hammond Innes' novel, The Killer Mine;[112] Charles de Lint's novel The Little Country;[113]; and Chapters 24 and 25 of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows take place in Cornwall (the Harry Potter story at Shell Cottage, which is on the beach outside the fictional village of Tinworth in Cornwall).[114]

Novelists resident in Cornwall:- Highly respected spy author John le Carré lives and writes in Cornwall. The Nobel-prizewinning novelist William Golding was born in St Columb Minor in 1911, and returned to live near Truro from 1985 until his death in 1993.[115] D. H. Lawrence spent a short time living in Cornwall.

[edit] Poetry
The late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman was famously fond of Cornwall and it featured prominently in his poetry. He is buried in the churchyard at St Enodoc's Church, Trebetherick.[116] Charles Causley, the poet, was born in Launceston and is perhaps the best known of Cornish poets. The Scottish poet W. S. Graham lived in West Cornwall from 1944 until his death in 1986.[117]

The poet Laurence Binyon wrote For the Fallen (first published in 1914) while sitting on the cliffs between Pentire Point and The Rumps and a stone plaque was erected in 2001 to commemorate the fact. The plaque bears the inscription For The Fallen Composed on these cliffs 1914 The plaque also bears the fourth stanza (sometimes referred to as 'The Ode') of the poem:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
[edit] Other literary works
Cornwall produced a substantial number of passion plays such as the Ordinalia during the Middle Ages. Many are still extant, and provide valuable information about the Cornish language. See also Cornish literature

Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch author of many novels and works of literary criticism lived in Fowey: his novels are mainly set in Cornwall. Prolific writer Colin Wilson, best known for his debut work The Outsider (1956) and for The Mind Parasites (1967), lives in Gorran Haven, a little village on the southern Cornish coast, not far from Mevagissey and St Austell. A. L. Rowse, the historian, was born near St. Austell.

Thomas Hardy's drama The Queen of Cornwall (1923) is a version of the Tristan story; the second act of Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde takes place in Cornwall, as do Gilbert and Sullivan's operettas The Pirates of Penzance and Ruddigore. A level of Tomb Raider: Legend, a game dealing with Arthurian Legend, takes place in Cornwall at a tacky museum above King Arthur's tomb.

The fairy tale Jack the Giant Killer takes place in Cornwall.

[edit] Sports and games
Main article: Sport in Cornwall

Cornish wrestlingWith its comparatively small, rural population, major contribution by the Cornish to national sport in the United Kingdom has been limited.[118] There are no teams affiliated to the Cornwall County Football Association that play in the Football League of England and Wales, and the Cornwall County Cricket Club plays as one of the minor counties of English cricket.[118] Viewed as an "important identifier of ethnic affliation", rugby union has become a sport strongly tied with notions of Cornishness,[119] and since the 20th century, rugby union in Cornwall has emerged as one of,the most popular spectator and team sports in Cornwall (perhaps the most popular), with professional Cornish rugby footballers being described as a "formidable force",[118] "naturally independent, both in thought and deed, yet paradoxically staunch English patriots whose top players have represented England with pride and passion".[120] In 1985, sports journalist Alan Gibson made a direct connection between love of rugby in Cornwall and the ancient parish games of hurling and wrestling that existed for centuries before rugby officially began.[120] Among Cornwall's native sports are a distinctive form of Celtic wrestling related to Breton wrestling, and Cornish hurling, a kind of mediaeval football played with a silver ball (distinct from Irish Hurling). Cornish Wrestling is Cornwall's oldest sport and as Cornwall's native tradition it has travelled the world to places like Victoria, Australia and Grass Valley, California following the miners and gold rushes. Hurling now takes place at St. Columb Major and St Ives although hurling of a silver ball is part of the beating the bounds ceremony at Bodmin every five years.

[edit] Surfing and other water sports

Surfers in Cornwall.
Cornwall's north coast is known as a centre for surfingDue to its long coastline, various maritime sports are popular in Cornwall, notably sailing and surfing. International events in both are held in Cornwall. Cornwall hosted the Inter-Celtic Watersports Festival in 2006. Surfing in particular is very popular, as locations such as Bude and Newquay offer some of the best surf in the UK. Pilot gig rowing has been popular for many years and the World championships takes place annually on the Isles of Scilly. On September 2, 2007, 300 surfers arrived at Polzeath beach, Cornwall to set a new world record for the highest number of surfers riding the same wave (as part of the Global Surf Challenge and part of a project called Earthwave to raise awareness about global warming).[121]

[edit] Indoor games
Euchre (also known as Five hundred) is a popular card game in Cornwall, it is normally a game for four players consisting of two teams. Its origins are unclear but some claim it is a Cornish game. There are several leagues in Cornwall at present. Whist and pub quizzes are also popular.

[edit] Cuisine
Main article: Cuisine of Devon and Cornwall

A Cornish PastyCornwall has a strong culinary heritage. Surrounded on three sides by the sea amid fertile fishing grounds, Cornwall naturally has fresh seafood readily available; Newlyn is the largest fishing port in the UK by value of fish landed.[122] Television chef Rick Stein has long operated a fish restaurant in Padstow for this reason, and Jamie Oliver recently chose to open his second restaurant, Fifteen, in Watergate Bay near Newquay. Masterchef host and founder of Smiths of Smithfield, John Torode, in 2007 purchased Seiners in Perranporth. One famous local fish dish is Stargazy pie, a fish-based pie in which the heads of the fish stick through the piecrust, as though "star-gazing". The pie is cooked as part of traditional celebrations for Tom Bawcock's Eve.

Cornwall is perhaps best known though for its pasties, a savoury dish made from pastry containing suet. Today's pasties usually contain a filling of beef steak, onion, potato and swede with salt and white pepper, but historically pasties had a variety of different fillings. "Turmut, 'tates and mate" (i.e. Turnip, potatoes and meat) describes a filling once very common. For instance, the licky pasty contained mostly leeks, and the herb pasty contained watercress, parsley, and shallots.[123] Pasties are often locally referred to as oggies. Historically, pasties were also often made with sweet fillings such as jam, apple and blackberry, plums or cherries.[124] The wet climate and relatively poor soil of Cornwall make it unsuitable for growing many arable crops. However, it is ideal for growing the rich grass required for dairying, leading to the production of Cornwall's other famous export, clotted cream. This forms the basis for many local specialities including Cornish fudge and Cornish ice cream. Cornish clotted cream is protected under EU law[125] and cannot be made anywhere else. Its principal manufacturer is Rodda's, based at Scorrier.

Local cakes and desserts include Saffron cake, Cornish heavy (hevva) cake, Cornish fairings biscuits, figgy 'obbin, scones (often served with jam and clotted cream) and whortleberry pie.[126][127][128]

There are also many types of beers brewed in Cornwall – those produced by Sharp's Brewery, Skinner's Brewery and St Austell Brewery are the best-known – including stouts, ales and other beer types. There is some small scale production of wine, mead and cider.

[edit] References
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^ Tylecote, R. F. (1962) Metallurgy in Archaeology
^ Pre Norman Conquest Cornwall
^ Michael Swanton, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, 2nd ed. London, Phoenix Press, 2000, p. 177
^ Todd, Michael (1987) The South West to AD 1000. London : Longman ISBN 0582492734
^ http://www.third-millennium-library.com/MedievalHistory/Book/CHAPTERS/XIV.html
^ Keynes, Simon; Lapidge, Michael (tr.) (1983), Alfred the Great: Asser's Life of King Alfred and other contemporary sources, London, Penguin Books, p. 175; cf. ibid, p. 89
^ Williams, Ann, and Martin, G. H. (2002) (tr.) Domesday Book - a complete translation, London, Penguin, pp. 341-357
^ Payton (1998) Cornwall, pp. 100-108
^ Orme, Nicholas (2000) The saints of Cornwall, see also Article on "Saint Uny" at http://www.lelant.info/uny.htm. The patron Saint of Wendron Parish Church, "Saint Wendrona" is another example.
^ Doble, G. H. (1960) The saints of Cornwall 5 vols. Truro: Dean and Chapter, 1960-70
^ see for example absences from Olsen and Padel's 'A tenth century list of Cornish parochial saints' in Cambridge medieval Celtic studies; 12 (1986); and from Nova Legenda Angliae by John Capgrave (mid-15th cent.)
^ "St. Piran - Sen piran". St-Piran.com. http://www.st-piran.com/st-piran.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ Charles-Edwards, T. (1970) "The Seven Bishop Houses of Dyfed," In: Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, vol. 24, (1970-1972), pp. 247-252.
^ Cornish Church Guide (1925) Truro: Blackford
^ Jenner, Henry (1925) "The Holy Wells of Cornwall". In: Cornish Church Guide. Truro: Blackford; pp. 249-257
^ Quiller-Couch, M. & L. (1894) Ancient and Holy Wells of Cornwall. London : Chas. J. Clark
^ Oliver, George (1846) Monasticon Dioecesis Exoniensis: being a collection of records and instruments illustrating the ancient conventual, collegiate, and eleemosynary foundations, in the Counties of Cornwall and Devon, with historical notices, and a supplement, comprising a list of the dedications of churches in the Diocese, an amended edition of the taxation of Pope Nicholas, and an abstract of the Chantry Rolls [with supplement and index]. Exeter: P. A. Hannaford, 1846, 1854, 1889
^ "The Prayer Book Rebellion 1549". TudorPlace.com.ar. http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Documents/prayer_book_rebellion.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "Methodism". Cornish-Mining.org.uk. http://www.cornish-mining.org.uk/story/religion.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ Shaw, Thomas (1967) A History of Cornish Methodism. Truro: Bradford Barton
^ "Truro Cathedral website - History page". TruroCathedral.org.uk. http://www.trurocathedral.org.uk/cathedral-story/story1.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ Brown, H. Miles (1976). A century for Cornwall, Truro: Blackford
^ "Diocese of Plymouth". http://www.plymouth-diocese.org.uk/. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
^ http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/main/sections/index.cfm?fsa=dspSectionDetail&w_id=147
^ Britain's only other example on an ophiolite, the Shetland ophiolite, is older, and linked to the Grampian Orogeny
^ Cornwall County Council, "The County Flower."
^ Price, J. H., Hepton, C. E. L. and Honey, S. I. (1979). The Inshore Benthic Biota of the Lizard Peninsula, south west Cornwall: the marine algae -- History; Chlorophyta; Phaeophyta. Cornish Studies; no. 7: pp. 7-37
^ Bere, Rennie(1982) The Nature of Cornwall. Buckingham: Barracuda Books
^ Armstrong, W. J. C. (1935) A Rambler's Guide to Tintagel, and Camelford, 2nd ed. [Boscastle: the Author]; pp. 89-95
^ Ryves, B. H. (1948) Bird Life in Cornwall. London: Collins
^ Met Office, 2000. Annual average temperature for the United Kingdom.
^ Met Office, 2000. Annual average rainfall for the United Kingdom.
^ Met Office, 2000. Annual average sunshine for the United Kingdom.
^ "Weather Averages - Truro, England". Foreca. http://weather.uk.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?wealocations=wc:34002. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
^ "Isles of Scilly Cornwall through time". visionofbritain.org.uk. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10076742&c_id=10171878. Retrieved 2007.
^ "Isles of Scilly RD Cornwall through time". visionofbritain.org.uk. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10026210&c_id=10001043. Retrieved 2007.
^ "About your local police". Devon and Cornwall Police. http://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/AboutUs/Pages/Aboutyourlocalpolice.aspx. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
^ "One Cornwall - A unified council for Cornwall". Cornwall County Council. http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=37570. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
^ http://www.onecornwall.cornwall.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=44400
^ "Cornwall super-council go-ahead". BBC. 2007-07-25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/6914947.stm. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
^ "Cornwall Council elections - Thursday, 4th June, 2009". Cornwall Council. http://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/mgElectionResults.aspx?ID=1&V=0&RPID=112166. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
^ British Archaeology, no 30, December 1997: Letters
^ Rowse, A. L. (1941) Tudor Cornwall. London: Cape; pp. 91-94
^ "Mark Prisk appointed Shadow Minister for Cornwall" (flash video). Cameron, David. 2007-07-24. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nIAarTqZsaU. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
^ Cornwall Council's Feb 2003 MORI poll
^ a b [1]
^ "This is The West Country - Give Cornwall what it wants". This is The West Country website. Newsquest Media Group. 2004-01-22. http://archive.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/2004/1/22/21396.html. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
^ "Cornish MPs determined to win more power for Cornwall - Dan Rogerson MP". Dan Rogerson MP for North Cornwall website. Dan Rogerson MP. 2007-06-11. http://www.danrogerson.org/2007/06/11/cornish-mps-determined-to-win-more-power-for-cornwall/. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
^ The Duchy of Cornwall Human Rights Association
^ "Minutes for the Census Sub-Group Meeting held on 23 November 2006". Central & Local Information Partnership. 2007-02-09. http://www.clip.local.gov.uk/lgv/core/page.do?pageId=40416. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
^ Payton, Philip (2004). "Re-inventing Kernow". Cornwall: A History (2nd revised edition ed.). Fowey: Cornwall Editions Limited. pp. 262. ISBN 1904880053.
^ Cornwall (United Kingdom)
^ British Flags (United Kingdom) from The World Flag Database
^ ONS December 2006
^ Eurostat
^ Halliday, p69.
^ Halliday, p182.
^ Poverty and deprivation in Cornwall (June 2006) and Poverty and neighbourhood renewal in west Cornwall (January 2002)PDF (756 KiB)
^ Cornwall Tourist Board, 2003. The total number of visitors to the county includes those on business and visiting relatives. Tourism in CornwallPDF (206 KiB).
^ Scottish Executive, 2004. A literature review of the evidence base for culture, the arts and sport policy.
^ Line-caught wild bass from Cornwall - South West Handline Fishermen's Association
^ . UNESCO Page on the Cornwall & West Devon application
^ The University of Exeter - Cornwall Campus - Camborne School of Mines
^ Home
^ Office for National Statistics, 2001. Population Change in England by County 1981-2000.
^ Office for National Statistics, 2001. Births, Deaths and Natural Change in Cornwall 1974 – 2001.
^ Office for National Statistics, 1996. % of Population of Pension Age (1996).
^ "Isle of Man Post Office Website". Isle of Man Post Office website. Isle of Man Government. 2009. http://www.gov.im/post/stamps/FutureIssue.aspx?categoryid=164. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
^ "Site Officiel du Festival Interceltique de Lorient". Festival Interceltique de Lorient website. Festival Interceltique de Lorient. 2009. http://www.festival-interceltique.com/le-monde-des-celtes-et-de-la-celtie.php. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
^ "Information paper: Recommended questions for the 2009 Census Rehearsal and 2011 Census: National Identity" (pdf). Office for National Statistics. December 2008. p. 32. http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-questionnaire-content/recommended-questions---national-identity.pdf. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
^ http://www.gosw.gov.uk/gosw/docs/254795/mode_of_use.doc
^ "Cornish in United Kingdom". European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/languages/langmin/euromosaic/uk1_en.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ BBC news - November 2002 - Cornish gains official recognition
^ BBC news - June 2005 - Cash boost for Cornish language
^ An Outline of the Standard Written Form of Cornish
^ Dictionary of Mining, Mineral, and Related Terms by American Geological Institute and U S Bureau of Mines (pages 128, 249, and 613)
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4540887.stm
^ "Newlyn". Cornwalls.co.uk. http://www.cornwalls.co.uk/Newlyn/. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "Elizabeth Adela Forbes". PenleeHouse.org.uk. http://www.penleehouse.org.uk/artists/elizabeth-forbes.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "Samuel John Lamorna Birch". HayleGallery.co.uk. http://www.haylegallery.co.uk/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=59. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "Virginia Woolf". NYTimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/n/nicolson-woolf.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "Ben Nicholson". StormFineArts.com. http://www.stormfinearts.com/images/gallery_b/b-nicholson/b-nicholson.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "Naum Gabo". Artnet.com. http://www.artnet.com/artist/660735/naum-gabo.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "Bernard Leach and the Leach Pottery". Studio-Pots.com. http://www.studio-pots.com/leach.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "Tate St Ives". Tate.org.uk. http://www.tate.org.uk/stives/. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ art cornwall .org: art and artists in Cornwall including Cornish galleries
^ "An-Daras.com". http://www.an-daras.com.
^ The whole Tori - Music - Entertainment - theage.com.au
^ "Daphne du Maurier". DuMaurier.org. http://www.DuMaurier.org/. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "The Birds". MovieDiva.com. http://www.moviediva.com/MD_root/reviewpages/MDBirds.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot". WorldwideSchool.org. http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/lit/detective/TheAdventureoftheDevilsFoot/Chap1.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "Over Sea, Under Stone". Powell's Books. http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780689840357. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "The Killer Mine". BoekBesprekingen.nl. http://www.boekbesprekingen.nl/cgi-bin/boek.cgi?boek=588391. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "The Little Country". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Little-Country-Charles-Lint/dp/0312876491. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "Shell Cottage". hp-lexicon.org. http://www.hp-lexicon.org/atlas/gazetteer/gazetteer-s.html. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
^ "Biography of William Golding". William-Golding.co.uk. http://www.william-golding.co.uk/p_biography.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "St Enodoc Church". RockInfo.co.uk. http://www.rockinfo.co.uk/daymer/stenochc.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ "William Sydney Graham". CPRW.com. http://www.cprw.com/Drexel/graham.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ a b c Clegg 2005, p. 10.
^ Harvey 2002, p. 221.
^ a b Gallagher, Brendan (23 October 2008), "Cornish rugby union celebrate 125 years of pride and passion - but are they the lost tribe?", The Daily Telegraph (telegraph.co.uk), http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/3247717/Cornish-rugby-union-celebrate-125-years-of-pride-and-passion---but-are-they-the-lost-tribe-Rugby.html, retrieved 2009-09-07
^ BBC NEWS, Surfers aim to break world record
^ Objective One media release
^ http://www.alanrichards.org/cornish3.htm - Cornish recipe site
^ Martin, Edith (1929). Cornish Recipes, Ancient & Modern. 22nd edition, 1965.
^ Official list of British protected foods
^ Mason, Laura; Brown, Catherine (1999) From Bath Chaps to Bara Brith. Totnes: Prospect Books
^ Pettigrew, Jane (2004) Afternoon Tea. Andover: Jarrold
^ Fitzgibbon, Theodora (1972) A Taste of England: the West Country. London: J. M. Dent
[edit] Further reading
Balchin, W. G. V. (1954) Cornwall: an illustrated essay on the history of the landscape. (The Making of the English Landscape). London: Hodder and Stoughton
Boase, George Clement; Courtney, W. P. (1874-1882) Bibliotheca Cornubiensis: a catalogue of the writings, both manuscript and printed, of Cornishmen, and of works relating to the county of Cornwall, with biographical memoranda and copious literary references. 3 vols. London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer
du Maurier, Daphne (1967). Vanishing Cornwall. London: Doubleday. (illustrated edition Published by Victor Gollancz, London, 1981, ISBN 0-5750-2844-0, photographs by Christian Browning)
Ellis, Peter Ellis (1974). The Cornish language and its literature. Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul Books. ISBN 0-7100-7928-1. (Available online on Google Books).
Graves, Alfred Perceval (1928). The Celtic Song Book: Being Representative Folk Songs of the Six Celtic Nations. London: Ernest Benn. (Available online on Digital Book Index)
Halliday, Frank Ernest (1959). A History of Cornwall. London: Gerald Duckworth. ISBN 0-7551-0817-5. A 2nd edition was published in 2001 by the House of Stratus, Thirsk: the original text new illustrations and an afterword by Halliday's son
Koch, John T. (2006). Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia. London: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-8510-9440-7. (Available online on Google Books).
Payton, Philip (1996). Cornwall. Fowey: Alexander Associates. ISBN 1-8995-2660-9. Revised edition Cornwall: a history, Fowey: Cornwall Editions Ltd, 2004 ISBN 1-9048-8000-2 (Available online on Google Books).
Stoyle, Mark (2001). "BBC - History - The Cornish: A Neglected Nation?". BBC History website. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/cornish_nation_01.shtml. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
Stoyle, Mark (2002). West Britons: Cornish Identities and the Early Modern British State. Exeter: University of Exeter Press. ISBN 0-8598-9688-9.
Williams, Michael (ed.) (1973) My Cornwall. St Teath: Bossiney Books (eleven chapters by various hands, including three previously published essays)
[edit] External links
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Newquay
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see New Quay (disambiguation).
Coordinates: 50°24′43″N 5°04′33″W / 50.4120°N 5.0757°W / 50.4120; -5.0757
Newquay
Cornish: Tewynn Pleustri

Newquay Harbour with the town in the background

Newquay
Newquay shown within Cornwall
Population 19,562 (Civil Parish, 2001)
OS grid reference SW815615
Parish Newquay
Unitary authority Cornwall
Ceremonial county Cornwall
Region South West
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town NEWQUAY
Postcode district TR7
Dialling code 01637
Police Devon and Cornwall
Fire Cornwall
Ambulance South Western
EU Parliament South West England
UK Parliament North Cornwall
List of places: UK • England • Cornwall
Newquay (Cornish: Tewynn Pleustri/Towan Blystra) is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port on the north Atlantic coast of Cornwall, Great Britain. It is bounded to the west by the River Gannel and its associated salt marsh, and in the east by the Porth Valley. The town has been expanding inland (south) since it was founded. In 2001 the census recorded a permanent population of 19,423.

Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Prehistoric period
1.2 Medieval period
1.3 Modern period
2 Church
3 Tourism
4 Surfing
5 Night life
6 Hospital and emergency services
7 Transport
7.1 Rail
7.1.1 History
7.2 Air
7.3 Bus
8 Education
8.1 World War II
9 Well-known people associated with Newquay
10 Newquay in films
11 Twinning
12 See also
13 References
14 External links


[edit] History
[edit] Prehistoric period
There are some pre-historic burial mounds and an embankment on the area now known as The Barrowfields. There were once up to fifteen barrows, but now only a few remain. Excavations here have revealed charred cooking pots and a coarse pottery burial urn containing remains of a Bronze Age chieftain, who was buried here up to 3500 years ago.[1] In 1987 evidence of a Bronze Age village was found at Trethellan Farm, a site that overlooks the River Gannel.[2] The first signs of settlement in the Newquay area consist of a late Iron Age hill fort/industrial centre which exploited the nearby abundant resources (including deposits of iron) and the superior natural defences provided by Trevelgue Head. It is claimed that occupation of the site was continuous from the 3rd century BC to the 5th or 6th century AD (a Dark Ages house was later built on the head).[3]

[edit] Medieval period
The curve of the headland around what is now Newquay Harbour provided natural protection from bad weather and a small fishing village grew up in the area. When the village was first occupied is unknown but it is not mentioned in the Domesday Book although a local house (now a bar known as "Trenninick Tavern") is included. By the 15th century the village was called "Towan Blystra" — "Towan" means sand hill/dune in Cornish — but the anchorage was exposed to winds from the north east and in 1439 the local burgesses applied to Edmund Lacey, Bishop of Exeter for leave and funds to build a "New quay" from which the town derives its current name.

[edit] Modern period
The first national British census of 1801 recorded around 1300 inhabitants in the settlement (enumerated as a village under St Columb Minor parish). Newquay parish was created in 1882[citation needed]

After the arrival of passenger trains in 1876, the former fishing village started to grow. Several major hotels were built around the turn of the 19th century, including the Victoria (in East Street), the Atlantic and the Headland.

Growth of the town eastwards soon reached the area around the railway station: Station Road became Cliff Road around 1930, and the houses beyond, along Narrowcliff, were also converted into hotels. Narrowcliff was first known as Narrowcliff Promenade, and then Narrowcliff Road. On some pre-war maps it is spelt Narrowcliffe.

At the time of the First World War the last house at the edge of the town was a little further along present-day Narrowcliff, and in more recent times this building became the Garth Hotel. Post-war development saw new houses and streets built in the Chester Road area, accompanied by ribbon development along the country lane which led to St Columb Minor, some 3 km away. This thoroughfare was modernised and named Henver Road, also some time in the 1930s. Development continued in this direction until World War 2, by which time much of Henver Road had houses on both sides, with considerably infilling also taking place between there and the sea.

It was not until the early 1950s that the last houses were built along Henver Road itself: after that, there was a virtually continuous building line on both sides of the main road from the other side of St Columb Minor right into the town centre. The Doublestiles estate to the north of Henver Road was also built in the early 1950s, as the name of Coronation Way indicates, and further development continued beyond, becoming the Lewarne Estate and extending the built up area to the edges of Porth.

Other areas also developed in the period between the wars were Pentire (known for a time as West Newquay) and the Trenance Valley. Other streets dating from the 1920s included St Thomas Road, which provided the approach to the town's new Cottage Hospital at its far end, to be followed by others in the same area near the station, such as Pargolla Road.

Up to the early 20th century, the small fishing port was famous for pilchards and there is a "Huer's Hut" above the harbour from which a lookout would cry "Heva!" to call out the fishing fleet when pilchard shoals were spotted. The town's present insignia is two pilchards. The real pilchards have long gone, but a small number of boats still catch the local edible crabs and lobsters.

More recent development has been on a larger scale: until the late 1960s a passenger arriving by train would not have seen a building by the line (with the exception of Trencreek village) until the Trenance Viaduct was reached. Today, the urban area starts a good 2 km inland from the viaduct. Other growth areas have been on the fringes of St Columb Minor and also towards the Gannel. More development beyond Treninnick, south of the Trenance Valley. has taken the urban area out as far as Lane, where more building is proposed. The Trennnick/Treloggan development, mainly in the 1970s and 1980s, included not merely housing but also an industrial estate and several large commercial outlets, including a major supermarket and a cash and carry warehouse.

New plans include further substantial development inland, which if allowed would extend the urban area towards Chapel. Places like Trencreek, Porth and St Columb Minor have long since become suburbs of Newquay: it is possible that by the 2030s, should present development trends continue, the edges of the town could be approaching and perhaps encompass Quintrell Downs[4], 5 km from the town centre. The development plan for Newquay Cornwall International Airport includes substantial additions around the airport, including a proposed business park as well as industry related to aviation.

[edit] Church
Newquay St. Michael's, a large church in the Cornish style designed by Sir Ninian Comper, was built in 1911. It was destroyed by an arson attack on 29 June 1993 but has since been reopened. Most of Newquay was in earlier times part of the parish of St Columb Minor.

[edit] Tourism
Newquay has been a major tourist destination for more than a century now, principally on account of its beautiful coastline and ten long and accessible sandy beaches. These include the famous Fistral, which could claim to the best-known surfing beach in the British Isles. Perhaps 22,000 people live in Newquay, but the population can increase to 100,000 or more in the summer because Newquay has a large stock of holiday accommodation. The town is rather larger, therefore, than the size of its resident population might suggest.

Newquay has even been referred to as the "Blackpool of the West Country", but although it is undoubtedly an entertainment town some substantial differences remain between Lancashire and Cornwall.


An easterly view over Newquay Harbour with some of the surfing beaches in the backgroundEstablished in sections throughout the 20th century, Trenance Leisure Gardens are sited in a wooded, formerly marshy valley on the quieter edge of Newquay, stretching down to the Gannel Estuary. From the Edwardian era it provided recreation for tourists with walks, tennis courts and a bowling green, all still popular today. In the gardens, which are spanned by the arches of the stone railway viaduct, visitors have long been able to enjoy a stroll through the beautiful Trenance Gardens with their mature trees and heritage cottages, leading to the Boating lake. This was dug during the depression of the 1930s as a work creation scheme. In the late 1960s, further enterprises were established by the council, including mini-golf, a swimming pool, the "Little Western" miniature railway and Newquay Zoo, which opened in 1969.

An interactive map of Newquay launched in 2009 features a self guided walking tour, focusing on local history, heritage, wildlife and public transport links - available in print form and online: see external links.

Newquay is also known for the "Run to the Sun" event, which always takes place during the public holiday on the last weekend in May at Trevelgue Holiday Park. Multitudes of people descend on the town in Volkswagen camper vans, Beetles and other custom cars.

The 1013 km (630miles) South West Coast Path runs through the town.

[edit] Surfing

Fistal Beach northThe resort styles itself "The Surfing Capital of Britain". Newquay is firmly established as the centre of the surf industry in Britain with many surf stores, board manufacturers and hire shops in the town.

At the centre of Newquay's surfing status is Fistral Beach which has a reputation as one of the best beach breaks in Cornwall. Fistral is capable of producing powerful, hollow waves and holding a good sized swell. It even has the bonus of being sheltered enough and sufficiently north-facing in places that it can get away with a south westerly wind. Fistral Beach has been host to international surfing competitions for around 20 years now, most recently the Rip Curl Boardmasters.[5].

Newquay is also home to the legendary big wave sport, The Cribbar. Breaking at up to 20 ft, the Cribbar was until recently rarely surfed as it requires no wind and huge swell to break. It was first surfed in 1967 by Jack Lydgate, Bob Head and Rod Sumpter. The recent explosion in interest in surfing large waves has seen it surfed more frequently, most notably by South African born Chris Bertish who during a succession of huge clean swells in 2004 surfed the biggest wave ever seen there.[6].

Towan, Great Western and Tolcarne beaches nearer the town and nearby Crantock and Watergate Bay also provide high quality breaks. Towan Beach is also the location for the proposed Newquay Surfing Reef, a controversial project which has caused a fierce local debate.

[edit] Night life
Newquay is well known for its lively nightlife. Nightclubs such as Berties, Sailor's and the newly opened Pure attract well known DJs. The influx of summer party-goers has regularly caused controversy in recent years, often because of the frequency of Stag and Hen parties.

[edit] Hospital and emergency services
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary maintains a substantial police station in Tolcarne Road, and the Major Crime Investigation Team for Cornwall works from there. The modern day-staffed fire station in Tregunnel Hill is run by Cornwall County Fire Brigade, and is the home of one of the two aerial ladder platforms based in Cornwall. Ambulance cover is provided by the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust from an Ambulance Station in St Thomas Road. Newquay Hospital [7] is also at the end of St Thomas Road, and is a local hospital catering for both in- and outpatients. The nearest General Hospital is in Truro. Proposals in recent years for the Newquay Growth Area, east of the present town, have included a new and larger hospital.

[edit] Transport
[edit] Rail
Newquay railway station is the terminus of the Atlantic Coast Line from Par. The railway was originally built as a mineral line in the 1840s to provide a link with the harbour. A passenger service followed on 20 June 1876, and from then on the town developed quickly as a resort. The station is close to the beaches on the east side of the town centre.

Newquay handles intercity trains throughout the summer, which include a daily service to and from London in July and August and also further through trains to London, the Midlands and North on Saturdays and Sundays between May and September. It is the only branch line terminus in Britain still handling scheduled intercity trains.

Two of the three former platforms were taken out of use in 1987, but Network Rail had planned [8] to restore one of the disused platforms to improve capacity. However, the latest draft Route Utilisation Study for the Great Western routes, published in September 2009 [9], makes no mention of this. Instead it favours a restored crossing place (a short section of double track where trains can pass) at St Columb Road. This will depend on the progress with developing a proposed eco-town in the China Clay area, much of which lies near the line.

An active local user group is campaigning for the line to be upgraded, not merely with at least one additional platform to be provided at Newquay, but also for passenger trains to run from St Dennis Junction (near St Columb Road) to Burngullow, on the Cornish Main Line west of St Austell. This would require the restoration of several kilometres of track, and also the improvement of a china clay line which still operates between Parkandillack and Burngullow. This route was proposed in 1987 as a possible replacement for the line to Par, much of which could then have been closed. However, although the British Railways Board obtained the necessary legal powers, the plan was not carried out.

[edit] History
The goods line which developed into the Newquay and Cornwall Junction Railway was opened in 1846 from inland clay mines to the harbour, worked by horses. Parts of the old line from the present station to the harbour are still in existence: the most obvious section is a broad footpath from opposite the station in Cliff Road to East Street, known locally as the "tram track", and complete with a very railway-style overbridge. From East Street, the line continued towards the harbour along the present-day Manor Road.

The last trains ran through to Newquay Harbour in about 1924, but general goods traffic continued to reach Newquay station until 1964. The goods yard then closed as part of much wider changes on British Railways. However, the passenger station and its approaches were enlarged more than once, with additional carriage sidings being built at Newquay in the 1930s. The originally wooden viaduct just outside the station, which crosses the Trenance Valley, was rebuilt in 1874 to allow locomotives to run over the structure and then again after World War 2 to carry double track, which extended until 1964 for approximately 1.5 km to Tolcarn Junction. The line is now single throughout again, but the width of the viaduct is still obvious.

Tolcarn Junction itself was the point where a second passenger route diverged from the Par line between 1906 and 1963. This branch ran to Chacewater, west of Truro, via Perranporth and St Agnes, and provided through trains to Truro and Falmouth.

The surviving branch line from Par, which includes other viaducts—mainly in the Luxulyan Valley—and also numerous level crossings, still brings many visitors each year from the junction at Par (on the Cornish Main Line) to Newquay. From the 1890s until 1947 the branch was owned by the Great Western Railway, then becoming part of British Railways Western Region until the late 1980s, when it was transferred to the Provincial sector of BR. This sector was renamed Regional Railways at the start of the 1990s.

After BR passenger services were franchised in 1996 and 1997, the line was operated by Wales and West (originally South Wales and West) from October 1996. W&W was a franchise owned by Prism Rail, but Prism did not stay the course: it was taken over by National Express in early 2001 and the W&W franchise was then divided, its south west of England area becoming Wessex Trains. This situation lasted until April 2006, when the Wessex franchise was absorbed by the new Greater Western contract, which is owned by FirstGroup and branded First Great Western. Thus, the wheel has largely come full circle since 1948: Newquay is now a Great Western station once again.

[edit] Air

Newquay airport terminalNewquay Cornwall Airport provides links to many other parts of the United Kingdom. It is an HM Customs port, because it also handles increasing numbers of foreign flights, both scheduled and chartered. Newquay (NQY) is the principal airport for Cornwall, although there are several minor airfields elsewhere in the county and a Heliport at Penzance for Isles of Scilly traffic.

Until 2008, Newquay Civil Airport (as it was formerly known) used the runway and other facilities of RAF St Mawgan, but in December 2008 the Ministry of Defence handed over most of the site to the recently formed Cornwall Airport Limited. The first stage of the conversion into a fully commercial airport is now complete, although further substantial development is planned.[10] The handover, which should have taken place at the start of December 2008, was delayed for almost three weeks because of problems in obtaining the essential Civil Aviation Authority licence, which was withheld until further work had been carried out. The airport was forced to close for the first three weeks of December, as the RAF declined to stay any longer. It reopened on 20 December, but airline Ryanair protested at the problems and did not restore its flights to Newquay until 2009. Altogether, Newquay Cornwall Airport now offers more than twenty routes.

Private jets, charters and helicopters operate at nearby Perranporth Airfield.

[edit] Bus
National Express runs coaches from various parts of Great Britain to Newquay. Newquay has a good local bus network: the principal operator is Western Greyhound [1], but some services are provided by FirstGroup and Summercourt Travel. The bus station is in Manor Road, which runs parallel to the main shopping area of Bank Street.

[edit] Education
Newquay has one higher education campus, Cornwall College Newquay, which is a member of the Combined Universities in Cornwall Partnership. [2]. It offers foundation degree courses in Zoological Conservation, Marine Aquaculture, Animal Science and Wildlife Education and Media. Appropriately, the campus is close to Newquay Zoo in the Trenance Valley. There are also two secondary schools: Newquay Tretherras School [3] is a state-funded specialist technology college and Treviglas College[4] is a specialist business college not far from St Columb Minor.

[edit] World War II
Among many schools evacuated to Cornwall (notably Benenden girls school), 240 boys and 20 masters of Gresham's School were evacuated to the town from Holt, Norfolk, during the Second World War, between June 1940 and March 1944.[11]

[edit] Well-known people associated with Newquay
William Golding author of Lord of the Flies, was born in Newquay
Singer-songwriter Ruarri Joseph lives in the Newquay area
Jamie Lowry, Chesterfield FC footballer, attended Newquay Junior School[citation needed]
Former Sheffield Wednesday and Celtic footballer Chris Morris was born in Newquay
Singer-songwriter James Morrison grew up in the Newquay area: he attended Treviglas College
Phillip Schofield attended Newquay Tretherras School[12]
John Coulson Tregarthen, naturalist and novelist
Sir David Willcocks the choral conductor, organist, and composer was born here in 1919
British painter Nicholas Charles Williams is based in Newquay
[edit] Newquay in films
The Headland Hotel next to Fistral Beach has been used in several films, including The Witches.
The Beatles filmed part of the Magical Mystery Tour film in Newquay. Scenes were filmed at the Atlantic Hotel and Towan Beach.[13]
[edit] Twinning
Dinard, Brittany, France
[edit] See also
List of topics related to Cornwall
[edit] References
^ "The Barrowfields". http://www.newquaytowncouncilcornwall.co.uk/local/?i=36.
^ Cornwall County Council. "Archaeological work at Scarcewater reveals rare & interesting finds". http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=1143.
^ Interim account of 1939 excavation by C. K. Croft Andrew (1949)
^ http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/results.shtml/el/Quintrell%20Downs%3BCornwall/
^ Cornwall Guide - North Coast Beaches
^ Cornwall Beaches - Fistral Beach
^ http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/Hospital.aspx?id=5QP15
^ Network Rail
^ http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browseDirectory.aspx?dir=\RUS%20Documents\Route%20Utilisation%20Strategies\Great%20Western&pageid=4449&root=\RUS%20Documents\Route%20Utilisation%20Strategies
^ The Newquay Cornwall Airport Masterplan
^ Benson, S. G. G. & Evans, Martin Crossley (2002) I Will Plant Me a Tree: an Illustrated History of Gresham's School. London: James & James ISBN 0-907383-92-0
^ "Phillip Schofield Online". http://www.schofieldfans.co.uk/about.php.
^ The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, Photo stock Archive by Chris Walter
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Newquay
The Official Newquay Tourism website
Newquay Town Council
Newquay Chamber of Commerce & Tourism
Treninick entry in the Domesday Book
Newquay at the Open Directory Project
[show]v • d • eGeography of Co

Airport
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For other uses, see Airport (disambiguation).

San Francisco International Airport, the tenth largest in the United States and the twenty-fifth largest airport in the world
The passenger terminal buildings at Incheon International Airport, Incheon, South Korea
The exterior of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The airport will soon be replaced by Long Thanh International Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport Passenger Terminal Bangkok, Thailand
Barra Airport, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, one of only two airports using a beach runway for scheduled services.
Paraparaumu Airport, New Zealand a small airport
JetBlue Airways at Cibao International Airport, Santiago, DRAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport. An airport consists of at least one surface such as a runway, a helipad, or water for takeoffs and landings, and often includes buildings such as hangars and terminal buildings.

Larger airports may have fixed base operator services, seaplane docks and ramps, air traffic control, passenger facilities such as restaurants and lounges, and emergency services. A military airport is known as an airbase or air station. The terms airfield, airstrip, and aerodrome may also be used to refer to airports, and the terms heliport, seaplane base, and STOLport refer to airports dedicated exclusively to helicopters, seaplanes, or short takeoff and landing aircraft. In some jurisdictions, the term airport is used where the facility is licensed as such by the relevant government organization (e.g. the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transport Canada). Elsewhere the distinction is one of general appearance. Other jurisdictions define an airport by its having the customs offices etc expected of a port,[citation needed] though the more general term is airport of entry.

Contents [hide]
1 Attributes
1.1 Airport ownership and operation
1.2 Airport structures
1.3 Shops and food services
1.4 Premium and VIP services
1.5 Cargo and freight services
1.6 Support services
1.7 Airport access
1.8 Internal transport
1.9 History and development
2 Airport designation and naming
2.1 Low Cost Airports
3 Airport security
4 Airport operations
4.1 Air traffic control
4.2 Traffic pattern
4.3 Navigational aids
4.4 Guidance signs
4.4.1 Operational guidance signs
4.4.2 Mandatory instruction signs
4.5 Lighting
4.6 Weather observations
4.7 Safety management
5 Airport ground crew
6 Environmental concerns
7 Military airbase
7.1 Aircraft carriers
8 Airports in entertainment
9 Airstrip
9.1 Links
10 Airport directories
11 See also
12 References
13 External links


[edit] Attributes

Airport signSmaller or less-developed airports — which represent the vast majority — often have a single runway shorter than 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Larger airports for airline flights generally have paved runways 2,000 m (6,600 ft) or longer. Many small airports have dirt, grass, or gravel runways, rather than asphalt or concrete.

In the United States, the minimum dimensions for dry, hard landing fields are defined by the FAR Landing And Takeoff Field Lengths. These include considerations for safety margins during landing and takeoff. Heavier aircraft require longer runways.

The longest public-use runway in the world is at Qamdo Bangda Airport in China. It has a length of 5,500 m (18,045 ft). The world's widest paved runway is at Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport in Russia and is 105 m (344 ft) wide.

As of 2006, there were approximately 49,000 airports around the world, including 14,858 in the US., the U.S. having the most in the world[1]

[edit] Airport ownership and operation

Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport, BrazilMost of the world's airports are owned by local, regional, or national government bodies who then lease the airport to private corporations who oversee the airport's operation. For example, BAA Limited (BAA) operates seven of the commercial airports in the United Kingdom, as well as several other airports outside of the UK. Germany's Frankfurt Airport is managed by the quasi-private firm Fraport.

In the United States and Canada, commercial airports are generally operated directly by government entities or government-created airport authorities (also known as port authorities).


Frankfurt Airport, Germany is managed by FraportMany US airports still lease part or all of their facilities to outside firms, who operate functions such as retail management and parking. In the US, all commercial airport runways are certified by the FAA under the Code of Federal Regulations Title 14 Part 139, Certification of Commercial Service Airports" [1], but maintained by the local airport under the regulatory authority of the FAA.

Despite the reluctance to privatize airports in the US (despite the FAA sponsoring a privatization program since 1996), the government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) arrangement is the standard for the operation of commercial airports in the rest of the world

[edit] Airport structures

The departures terminal at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, India the busiest airport in South Asia[2]Airports are divided into landside and airside areas. Landside areas include parking lots, public transportation train stations, tank farms and access roads. Airside areas include all areas accessible to aircraft, including runways, taxiways, ramps and tank farms. Access from landside areas to airside areas is tightly controlled at most airports. Passengers on commercial flights access airside areas through terminals, where they can purchase tickets, clear security, check or claim luggage and board aircraft through gates. The waiting areas which provide passenger access to aircraft are typically called concourses, although this term is often used interchangeably with terminal.

The area where aircraft park next to a terminal to load passengers and baggage is known as a ramp (or "the tarmac"). Parking areas for aircraft away from terminals are called aprons.

Airports can be towered or non-towered, depending on air traffic density and available funds. Due to their high capacity and busy airspace, many international airports have air traffic control located on site.

Airports with international flights have customs and immigration facilities. However, as some countries have agreements that allow travel between them without customs and immigrations, such facilities are not a definitive need for an international airport. International flights often require a higher level of physical security, although in recent years, many countries have adopted the same level of security for international and domestic travel.

"Floating airports" are being designed which could be located several miles at sea and which would use designs such as pneumatic stabilized platform technology.


Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, Pakistan[edit] Shops and food services

Duty free shopping area at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel
Food court and shops, Halifax International Airport, CanadaThe prices charged for food are generally higher than prices found outside the airport. However, some airports now regulate food costs to keep them comparable to "street prices". This term is misleading as prices often match the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) but are almost never discounted.

Some airport restaurants offer regional cuisine specialties for those in transit so that they may sample local food or culture without leaving the airport.[3]

[edit] Premium and VIP services
Airports may also contain premium and VIP services. The premium and VIP services may include express check in, dedicated check in counters, separate departures and/or arrivals lounge, priority boarding, separate air bridges, and priority baggage handling.

These services are usually reserved for First and Business class passengers, premium frequent flyers, and members of the airline's clubs. Premium services may sometimes be open to passengers who are members of a different airline's frequent flyer program. This can sometimes be part of a reciprocal deal, as when multiple airlines are part of the same alliance, or as a ploy to attract premium customers away from rival airlines.

Sometimes these premium services will be offered to a non-premium passenger if the airline has made a mistake in handling of the passenger, such as unreasonable delays or mishandling of checked baggage.

Airline lounges frequently offer free or reduced cost food, as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Lounges themselves typically have seating, showers, quiet areas, televisions, computer, wi-fi and Internet access, and power outlets that passengers may use for their electronic equipment. Some airline lounges employ baristas, bartenders and gourmet chefs.

Airlines sometimes operate multiple lounges within the one airport terminal allowing ultra premium customers, such as first class customers, additional services, which are not available to other premium customers. Multiple lounges may also prevent overcrowding of the lounge facilities.

[edit] Cargo and freight services
In addition to people, airports move cargo around the clock. Cargo airlines often have their own on-site and adjacent infrastructure to transfer parcels between ground and air.

[edit] Support services
Aircraft maintenance, pilot services, aircraft rental, and hangar rental are most often performed by a fixed base operator (FBO). At major airports, particularly those used as hubs, airlines may operate their own support facilities.


International terminal at Houari Boumedienne Airport, Algiers, AlgeriaSome airports, typically military airbases, have long runways used as emergency landing sites. Many airbases have arresting equipment for fast aircraft, known as arresting gear – a strong cable suspended just above the runway and attached to a hydraulic reduction gear mechanism. Together with the landing aircraft's arresting hook, it is used in situations where the aircraft's brakes would be insufficient by themselves.

[edit] Airport access
Many large airports are located next to or sometimes above railway trunk routes, for instance Frankfurt Airport, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport and London Stansted Airport. For local access, many airports have train lines, rapid transit, light rail lines or other public transport systems, for instance the AirTrain JFK at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and the Silver Line T at Boston's Logan International Airport by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). These systems are usually directly connected to the main terminals. Large airports usually have access also through freeways from which cars fed into two access roads, designed as loops, one sitting on top of the other. One level is for departing passengers and the other is for arrivals.

[edit] Internal transport
The distances passengers need to move within a large airport can be substantial. It is common for airports to provide moving walkways and buses. The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has a tram that takes people through the concourses and baggage claim. Major airports with more than one terminal offer inter-terminal transportation, such as Mexico City International Airport, where the domestic building of Terminal 1 is connected by an aerotren to Terminal 2, on the other side of the airport.

[edit] History and development

Qantas AVRO 504K replica, first plane flown by Qantas, Sydney Airport, AustraliaThe first use of the term "airport" appeared in a New York Times article in 1902, where Santos-Dumont stated that he expected New York to be the principal "airport" of the world in less than a score of years.[4]

The earliest aircraft takeoff and landing sites were grassy fields. The plane could approach at any angle that provided a favorable wind direction. A slight improvement was the dirt-only field, which eliminated the drag from grass. However, these only functioned well in dry conditions. They were replaced by concrete surfaces that allowed all-weather landings in daylight and at night.

The title of "world's oldest airport" is disputed, but College Park Airport in Maryland, US, established in 1909 by Wilbur Wright, is generally agreed to be the world's oldest continually operating airfield[5], although it serves only general aviation traffic.

Another claim to the world's oldest airport is from Bisbee-Douglas International Airport Douglas, Arizona, USA, which had the first airplane in the state. In 1908 the Douglas Aeronautical Club was formed, starting with a glider made from mail order plans. This glider was pulled into the air by two horses and flown behind the Douglas YMCA building. In 1909 a motor and propeller were put on the airplane, making it the first powered airplane in Arizona. The airport's status as the first international airport in the USA is confirmed by a letter from President Roosevelt declaring it "the first international airport of the Americas.”

Albany International Airport is the oldest municipal airport in the United States[6]. Bremen Airport opened in 1913 and remains in use, although it served as an American military field between 1945 and 1949. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol opened on September 16, 1916 as a military airfield, but only accepted civil aircraft from December 17, 1920, allowing Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia—which started operations in January 1920—to claim to be one of the world's oldest continually operating commercial airport.[7]. Rome Ciampino Airport, opened 1916, is also a contender.

Increased aircraft traffic during World War I led to the construction of landing fields. Aircraft had to approach these from certain directions and this led to the development of aids for directing the approach and landing slope.

Following the war, some of these military airfields added commercial facilities for handling passenger traffic. One of the earliest such fields was Paris - Le Bourget Airport at Le Bourget, near Paris. The first international airport to open was the Croydon Airport, in South London, although an airport at Hounslow had been temporarily operating as such for nine months.[8][9] In 1922, the first permanent airport and commercial terminal solely for commercial aviation was built at Königsberg, Germany. The airports of this era used a paved "apron", which permitted night flying as well as landing heavier aircraft.


Airport distribution in 2008The first lighting used on an airport was during the later part of the 1920s; in the 1930s approach lighting came into use. These indicated the proper direction and angle of descent. The colors and flash intervals of these lights became standardized under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In the 1940s, the slope-line approach system was introduced. This consisted of two rows of lights that formed a funnel indicating an aircraft's position on the glideslope. Additional lights indicated incorrect altitude and direction.

Following World War II, airport design became more sophisticated. Passenger buildings were being grouped together in an island, with runways arranged in groups about the terminal. This arrangement permitted expansion of the facilities. But it also meant that passengers had to travel further to reach their plane.

An improvement in the landing field was the introduction of grooves in the concrete surface. These run perpendicular to the direction of the landing aircraft and serve to draw off excess water in rainy conditions that could build up in front of the plane's wheels.

Airport construction boomed during the 1960s with the increase in jet aircraft traffic. Runways were extended out to 3 km (9,800 ft). The fields were constructed out of reinforced concrete using a slip-form machine that produces a continual slab with no disruptions along the length. The early 1960s also saw the introduction of jet bridge systems to modern airport terminals, an innovation which eliminated outdoor passenger boarding. These systems became commonplace in the United States by the 1970s.

Modern runways are thickest in the area where aircraft move slowly and are expected to have maximum load, i.e. runway ends. A common myth is that airplanes produce their greatest load during landing due to the "impact" of landing. This is untrue as much of the aircraft weight remains on the wings due to lift. Runways are constructed as smooth and level as possible.

[edit] Airport designation and naming
Main article: List of airports
Airports are uniquely represented by their International Air Transport Association airport code and ICAO airport code. International Air Transport Association (IATA) airport codes are often abbreviated forms of the common name of the airport, such as PHL for Philadelphia International Airport. Airports sometimes retain their previous IATA code when an airport's name is changed. Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut retains the IATA code BEY, from its former name of Beirut International Airport (BEY is from its French name, Aéroport International de Beyrouth).

The name of the airport itself can be its location, such as Hong Kong International Airport. It can be the name of a celebrity, commonly a politician, e.g. Simón Bolívar International Airport, Atatürk International Airport, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport or Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. Airports may also be named after a person associated with the region it serves or prominent figures in aviation history, such as Kingsford Smith International Airport, Will Rogers World Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Imam Khomeini International Airport, or more recently Belfast City Airport was renamed George Best Belfast City Airport in memory of the football star who was born in Northern Ireland.

Airport names may include the word "International", reflecting their ability to handle international aviation traffic, although the airport may not actually operate any such flights; an example is Texel International Airport. Some airports with international immigration facilities may also choose to drop the word from their airport names (eg. Perth Airport, Singapore Changi Airport).

[edit] Low Cost Airports
In the recent past, low cost terminals have been built to cater for discount airlines such as Ryanair. Now there are low cost airports under construction such as Sindhudurg Airport in Maharashtra, India. [2]

[edit] Airport security
Main article: Airport security

Baggage is scanned using X-ray machines, passengers walk through metal detectorsAirport security normally requires baggage checks, metal screenings of individual persons, and rules against any object that could be used as a weapon. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, airport security has been dramatically increased.

See also: Airport security repercussions due to the September 11, 2001 attacks
[edit] Airport operations
[edit] Air traffic control
See also: Air traffic control
The majority of the world's airports are non-towered, with no air traffic control presence. However, at particularly busy airports, or airports with other special requirements, there is an air traffic control (ATC) system whereby controllers (usually ground-based) direct aircraft movements via radio or other communications links. This coordinated oversight facilitates safety and speed in complex operations where traffic moves in all three dimensions. Air traffic control responsibilities at airports are usually divided into at least two main areas: ground and tower, though a single controller may work both stations. The busiest airports also have clearance delivery, apron control, and other specialized ATC stations.

Ground Control is responsible for directing all ground traffic in designated "movement areas", except the traffic on runways. This includes planes, baggage trains, snowplows, grass cutters, fuel trucks, and a wide array of other vehicles. Ground Control will instruct these vehicles on which taxiways to use, which runway they will use (in the case of planes), where they will park, and when it is safe to cross runways. When a plane is ready to take off it will stop short of the runway, at which point it will be turned over to Tower Control. After a plane has landed, it will depart the runway and be returned to Ground Control.


The apron from the top floor observation room, Halifax International Airport, CanadaTower Control controls aircraft on the runway and in the controlled airspace immediately surrounding the airport. Tower controllers may use radar to locate an aircraft's position in three-dimensional space, or they may rely on pilot position reports and visual observation. They coordinate the sequencing of aircraft in the traffic pattern and direct aircraft on how to safely join and leave the circuit. Aircraft which are only passing through the airspace must also contact Tower Control in order to be sure that they remain clear of other traffic.

[edit] Traffic pattern
Main article: Airfield traffic pattern
All airports use a traffic pattern (often called a traffic circuit outside the U.S.) to assure smooth traffic flow between departing and arriving aircraft. Generally, this pattern is a circuit consisting of five "legs" that form a rectangle (two legs and the runway form one side, with the remaining legs forming three more sides). Each leg is named (see diagram), and ATC directs pilots on how to join and leave the circuit. Traffic patterns are flown at one specific altitude, usually 800 or 1,000 ft (244 m or 305 m) above ground level (AGL). Standard traffic patterns are left-handed, meaning all turns are made to the left. Right-handed patterns do exist, usually because of obstacles such as a mountain, or to reduce noise for local residents. The predetermined circuit helps traffic flow smoothly because all pilots know what to expect, and helps reduce the chance of a mid-air collision.

At extremely large airports, a circuit is in place but not usually used. Rather, aircraft (usually only commercial with long routes) request approach clearance while they are still hours away from the airport, often before they even take off from their departure point. Large airports have a frequency called Clearance Delivery which is used by departing aircraft specifically for this purpose. This then allows airplanes to take the most direct approach path to the runway and land without worrying about interference from other aircraft. While this system keeps the airspace free and is simpler for pilots, it requires detailed knowledge of how aircraft are planning to use the airport ahead of time and is therefore only possible with large commercial airliners on pre-scheduled flights. The system has recently become so advanced that controllers can predict whether an aircraft will be delayed on landing before it even takes off; that aircraft can then be delayed on the ground, rather than wasting expensive fuel waiting in the air.

[edit] Navigational aids

Standard Visual Approach Slope IndicatorThere are a number of aids available to pilots, though not all airports are equipped with them. A Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI) helps pilots fly the approach for landing. Some airports are equipped with a VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) to help pilots find the direction to the airport. VORs are often accompanied by a distance measuring equipment (DME) to determine the distance to the VOR. VORs are also located off airports, where they serve to provide airways for aircraft to navigate upon. In poor weather, pilots will use an instrument landing system (ILS) to find the runway and fly the correct approach, even if they cannot see the ground. The number of instrument approaches based on the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) is rapidly increasing and may eventually be the primary means for instrument landings.

Larger airports sometimes offer precision approach radar (PAR), but these systems are more common at military air bases than civilian airports. The aircraft's horizontal and vertical movement is tracked via radar, and the controller tells the pilot his position relative to the approach slope. Once the pilots can see the runway lights, they may continue with a visual landing.

[edit] Guidance signs
Airport guidance signs provide direction and information to taxiing aircraft and airport vehicles. Smaller airports may have few or no signs, relying instead on airport diagrams and charts.

There are two classes of signage at airports, with several types of each:

[edit] Operational guidance signs

Taxiing aircraft at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, United StatesLocation signs – yellow on black background. Identifies the runway or taxiway currently on or entering.
Direction/Runway Exit signs – black on yellow. Identifies the intersecting taxiways the aircraft is approaching, with an arrow indicating the direction to turn.
Other – Many airports use conventional traffic signs such as stop and yield signs throughout the airport.
[edit] Mandatory instruction signs
Mandatory instruction signs are white on red. They show entrances to runways or critical areas. Vehicles and aircraft are required to stop at these signs until the control tower gives clearance to proceed.

Runway signs – White on a red. These signs simply identify a runway intersection ahead.
Frequency Change signs – Usually a stop sign and an instruction to change to another frequency. These signs are used at airports with different areas of ground control.
Holding Position signs – A single solid yellow bar across a taxiway indicates a position where ground control may require a stop. If two solid yellow bars and two dashed yellow bars are encountered, this indicates a holding position for a runway intersection ahead; runway holding lines must never be crossed without permission. At some airports, a line of red lights across a taxiway is used during low visibility operations to indicate holding positions.
[edit] Lighting

Flood lights in front of the control tower at Sialkot International Airport, PakistanMany airports have lighting that help guide planes using the runways and taxiways at night or in rain or fog.

On runways, green lights indicate the beginning of the runway for landing, while red lights indicate the end of the runway. Runway edge lighting consists of white lights spaced out on both sides of the runway, indicating the edge. Some airports have more complicated lighting on the runways including lights that run down the centerline of the runway and lights that help indicate the approach (an Approach Lighting System, or ALS). Low-traffic airports may use Pilot Controlled Lighting to save electricity and staffing costs.

Along taxiways, blue lights indicate the taxiway's edge, and some airports have embedded green lights that indicate the centerline.

Obstruction Lighting

o Used to mark hazards

o Gives pilots a visual aid (usually creates a lane)

o Meant to be visible to pilots and not a disturbance to people on ground

[edit] Weather observations
See also: Surface weather observation, Automated airport weather station, and Automatic weather station
Weather observations at the airport are crucial to safe take-offs and landings. In the US and Canada, the vast majority of airports, large and small, have some form of automated airport weather station, whether an AWOS, ASOS, or AWSS.[citation needed] Most larger airports also have human observers to provide additional observations to supplement the automated station. These weather observations are available over the radio, through Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) or via the ATC.

Planes take-off and land into the wind in order to achieve maximum performance. Because pilots need instantaneous information during landing, a windsock is also kept in view of the runway.

[edit] Safety management
Air safety is an important concern in the operation of an airport, and almost every airfield includes equipment and procedures for handling emergency situations. Commercial airfields include one or more emergency vehicles and their crew that are specially equipped for dealing with airfield accidents, crew and passenger extractions, and the hazards of highly flammable aviation fuel. The crews are also trained to deal with situations such as bomb threats, hijacking, and terrorist activities.


NASA air safety experiment (CID project)Hazards to aircraft include debris, nesting birds, and reduced friction levels due to environmental conditions such as ice, snow, or rain. Part of runway maintenance is airfield rubber removal which helps maintain friction levels. The fields must be kept clear of debris using cleaning equipment so that loose material does not become a projectile and enter an engine duct (see foreign object damage). In adverse weather conditions, ice and snow clearing equipment can be used to improve traction on the landing strip. For waiting aircraft, equipment is used to spray special deicing fluids on the wings.

Many airports are built near open fields or wetlands. These tend to attract bird populations, which can pose a hazard to aircraft in the form of bird strikes. Airport crews often need to discourage birds from taking up residence.

Some airports are located next to parks, golf courses, or other low-density uses of land. Other airports are located near densely-populated urban or suburban areas. In the 1980s, a conflict arose in San Jose, California, when a plane attempting to land at Reid-Hillview Airport (built in the 1930s) collided with a Macy's department store at the Eastridge Center. Many local residents tried to get the airport shut down, even though it had been there for fifty years: their neighborhoods (and the mall) were about a decade old.[citation needed]

An airport can have areas where collisions between airplanes on the ground tend to occur. Records are kept of any incursions where airplanes or vehicles are in an inappropriate location, allowing these "hot spots" to be identified. These locations then undergo special attention by transportation authorities (such as the FAA in the US) and airport administrators.

During the 1980s, a phenomenon known as microburst became a growing concern due to accidents caused by microburst wind shear. (For example, see Delta Air Lines Flight 191.) Microburst radar was developed as an aid to safety during landing, giving two to five minutes warning to aircraft in the vicinity of the field of a microburst event.

Some airfields now have a special surface known as soft concrete at the end of the runway (stopway) that behaves somewhat like styrofoam, bringing the plane to a relatively rapid halt as the material disintegrates. These surfaces are useful when the runway is located next to a body of water or other hazard, and prevent the planes from overrunning the end of the field.

[edit] Airport ground crew

An aircraft tow tractor moving a KLM Boeing 777Main article: Ground Support Equipment
Most airports have ground crew handling the loading and unloading of passengers, crew, baggage and other services.[citation needed] Some ground crew are linked to specific airlines operating at the airport.

[edit] Environmental concerns
Aircraft noise is major cause of noise disturbance to residents living near airports. Sleep can be affected if the airports operate night and early morning flights. Aircraft noise not only occurs from take-off and landings, but also ground operations including maintenance and testing of aircraft. Noise can have other noise health effects. Other noise and environmental concern are vehicle traffic causing noise and pollution on road leading the airport.

The construction of new airports or addition of runways to existing airports, is often resisted by local residents because of the effect on countryside, historical sites, local flora and fauna. Due to the risk of collision between birds and airplanes, large airports undertake population control programs where they frighten or shoot birds.

The construction of airports has been known to change local weather patterns. For example, because they often flatten out large areas, they can be susceptible to fog in areas where fog rarely forms. In addition, they generally replace trees and grass with pavement, they often change drainage patterns in agricultural areas, leading to more flooding, run-off and erosion in the surrounding land.

Some of the airport administrations prepare and publish annual environmental reports in order to show how they consider these environmental concerns in airport management issues and how they protect environment from airport operations. These reports contains all environmental protection measures performed by airport administration in terms of water, air, soil and noise pollution, resource conservation and protection of natural life around the airport.

[edit] Military airbase
Main article: Airbase
An airbase, sometimes referred to as a military airport or airfield, provides basing and support of military aircraft. Some airbases provide facilities similar to their civilian counterparts. For example, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England has a terminal which caters to passengers for the Royal Air Force's scheduled Tristar flights to the Falkland Islands. Military airbases may also be co-located with civilian airports, sharing the same tower/air traffic control facilities, runways, taxiways and emergency services, but with separate terminals, parking areas, hangars and shelter areas. Examples of this are Bardufoss Airport/Bardufoss Air Station and Gardermoen Airport/Gardermoen Air Station, both in Norway. A special variant of a military airfield is the aircraft carrier.

[edit] Aircraft carriers
Main article: Aircraft carrier
The aircraft carrier is a warship that functions as a floating airport for military aircraft. Aircraft carriers allow a naval force to project air power great distances without having to depend on local bases for land-based aircraft. After their development in World War I, aircraft carriers replaced the battleship as the centrepiece of a modern fleet during World War II. Unescorted carriers are considered vulnerable to missile or submarine attacks and therefore travel as part of a carrier battle group that includes a wide array of other ships with specific functions.

[edit] Airports in entertainment
Airports have played major roles in motion pictures and television programs due to being transportation hubs, but also because of their characteristics. One such example of this is the movie The Terminal, a film about a man who becomes permanently grounded in an airport terminal and must survive only on the food and shelter provided by the airport. Movies such as Airplane!, Airport, Die Hard 2, Soul Plane, Jackie Brown, Get Shorty, Home Alone, Liar Liar, Passenger 57, Final Destination, Unaccompanied Minors, Catch Me if You Can, Rendition and The Langoliers. They have also played important parts in television series like Lost, America's Next Top Model Cycle 10 also have significant parts of their story set within airports.

Several computer simulation games put the player in charge of an airport. These include Airport Tycoon and the sequels; Airport Tycoon 2 and Airport Tycoon 3. There is also a Japanese series of games called Air Traffic Controller.

[edit] Airstrip

Busuanga airstrip, the Philippines
A light aircraft taking off from Rougham Airfield, United KingdomAn airstrip or airfield is a kind of airport that consists only of a runway with perhaps fueling equipment. They are generally in remote locations. Many airstrips (now mostly abandoned) were built on the hundreds of islands in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Sometimes a few airstrips become full fledged airbases as strategic or economic importance of a region increases over time.

[edit] Links
Air Strip America
Airstrip Junkies - A comprehensive listing of airstrips located throughout the American West.
[edit] Airport directories
See also: Civil Aviation Authority and Aeronautical Information Service
Each national aviation authority has a source of information about airports in their country. This will contain information on airport height, airport lighting, runway information, communications facilities and frequencies, hours of operation, nearby NAVAIDs and contact information where prior arrangement for landing is necessary.

Australia
Information can be found on-line in the En route Supplement Australia (ERSA) which is published by Airservices Australia, a government owned corporation charged with managing Australian ATC.
Canada
Two publications, the Canada Flight Supplement (CFS) and the Water Aerodrome Supplement provides equivalent information.
Europe
The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) provides an Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), aeronautical charts and NOTAM services for multiple European countries.
Germany
Provided by the Federal Office for Civil Aviation of Germany.
France
Aviation Generale Delage edited by Delville and published by Breitling.
The United Kingdom and Ireland
The information is found in Pooley's Flight Guide, a publication compiled with the assistance of the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Pooleys also contains information on some continental European airports that are close to Great Britain. National Air Traffic Services, the UK's Air Navigation Service Provider, a public-private partnership also publishes an online AIP for the UK.
The United States
The US uses the Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD), published in seven volumes. DAFIF also includes extensive airport data.
A comprehensive, consumer/business directory of commercial airports in the world (primarily for airports as businesses, rather than for pilots) is organized by the trade group Airports Council International.
[edit] See also
Airport infrastructure
Domestic airport
List of cities with more than one airport
List of countries by number of airports
List of countries without an airport
List of airports
List of aviation topics
List of hub airports
Model airport
NIMBY
Port
Regional airport
Total Airport Management Systems
World's busiest airport
Busiest airports in the United States
Heliport
[edit] References
^ CIA World Factbook
^ http://tripatlas.com/Chhatrapati_Shivaji_International_Airport
^ USA Today newspaper, Oct. 17, 2006, p. 2D
^ Santos-Dumont coins word "Airport"
^ College Park Airport
^ Albany International Airport ALB :: ALB History cited 10 April 2009
^ Airport history
^ Croydon Airport
^ History of Croydon Airport
"Politics at the Airport," by Mark Salter (University of Minnesota Press, 2008). This book brings together leading scholars to examine how airports both shape and are shaped by current political, social, and economic conditions.
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Airport
International Airport Times
Airports Council International (ACI)—industry group representing over 1,600 major airports.
Airport Railways of the World Interactive resource of over 300 airports with rail links (available in 5 European languages).
Global Airport Directory
ACI 2006 annual report (PDF)—includes airport traffic information and forecasts.
History of aircraft landing aids
Airports
[hide]v • d • eCommercial air travel

Airlines List of all airlines · List of passenger airlines · List of regional airlines · List of charter airlines

· List of "firms" with multiple IATA coded "certificated air carrier holdings"

Industry associations IATA · ICAO · ISTAT

Airline alliances Oneworld · Star Alliance · SkyTeam

Ticketing Airline Reservations System · Airline ticket · Airline timetable · Boarding pass · Codeshare agreement · Continent pass · Electronic ticket · Flight cancellation · Frequent flyer program · Government contract flight · Open-jaw ticket · Red-eye flight · Round-the-world ticket · Standby · Travel agency · Travel search engine · Warsaw Convention

Airport Airline hub · Airport · Airport lounge · Domestic airport · International airport · Regional airport

Luggage Bag tag · Baggage allowance · Baggage carousel · Baggage claim · Baggage handler · Checked baggage · Lost luggage

Check-in Airstair · Airport check-in · Airport security · Boarding · Gate

Seating Aircraft seat map · Airline seat · First class · Business class · Premium Economy class · Economy class · Travel class

In flight Aircraft lavatory · Airline meal · Airsickness bag · In-flight entertainment · Buy on board · Inflight smoking

Aircrew Deadheading · Captain · First officer · Flight attendant · Flight engineer · Pilot · Purser · Second Officer · Third Officer

Immigration Arrival Card · Departure Card · Passport

Safety Air traffic control · Aircraft safety card · Airline security · Airport authority · Airport police · Civil aviation authority · Flight data recorder · Pre-flight safety demonstration · Overwing exits





Commercial airline destinations by continent
Africa North Africa:
Algeria • Egypt • Libyan Arab Jamahiriya • Morocco • Sudan • Tunisia • Western Sahara (claimed by Morocco)
West Africa:
Benin • Burkina Faso • Cape Verde • Côte d'Ivoire • Gambia • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Liberia • Mali • Mauritania • Niger • Nigeria • Senegal • Sierra Leone • Togo
Central Africa:
Angola • Cameroon • Central African Republic • Chad • Congo • Congo, Democratic Republic of the • Equatorial Guinea • Gabon • São Tomé and Príncipe
East Africa:
Burundi • Comoros • Djibouti • Eritrea • Ethiopia • Kenya • Madagascar • Malawi • Mauritius • Mayotte (France) • Mozambique • Réunion (France) • Rwanda • Seychelles • Somalia • Tanzania, United Republic of • Uganda • Zambia • Zimbabwe
Southern Africa:
Botswana • Lesotho • Namibia • South Africa • Swaziland

Asia Central Asia:
Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • Tajikistan • Turkmenistan • Uzbekistan
Southwest Asia:
Afghanistan • Armenia • Azerbaijan • Bahrain • Georgia • Iran • Iraq • Israel • Jordan • Kuwait • Lebanon • Oman • Qatar • Saudi Arabia • Syrian Arab Republic • United Arab Emirates • Yemen
South Asia:
Bangladesh • Bhutan • India • Maldives • Nepal • Pakistan • Sri Lanka
East Asia:
China, People's Republic of • China, Republic of (Taiwan) • Japan • Korea, Democratic People's Republic of • Korea, Republic of • Mongolia
Southeast Asia:
Brunei Darussalam • Cambodia • Indonesia • Lao People's Democratic Republic • Malaysia • Myanmar • Philippines • Singapore • Thailand • Timor-Leste • Viet Nam

Europe Western Europe:
Austria • Belgium • British Crown Dependencies • Denmark • Faroe Islands (Denmark) • Finland • France • Germany • Gibraltar (United Kingdom) • Greece • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Luxembourg • Malta • Monaco • Netherlands • Norway • Portugal • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Central Europe:
Czech Republic • Hungary • Poland • Slovakia • Slovenia
Eastern Europe (including all of Russia and Turkey):
Albania • Belarus • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Croatia • Cyprus • Estonia • Latvia • Lithuania • Macedonia • Moldova, Republic of • Montenegro • Romania • Russian Federation • Serbia • Turkey • Ukraine

North America Northern America:
Bermuda (United Kingdom) • Canada • Greenland (Denmark) • Mexico • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (France) • United States of America
The Caribbean:
Anguilla (United Kingdom) • Antigua and Barbuda • Aruba (Netherlands) • Bahamas • Barbados • British Virgin Islands (United Kingdom) • Cayman Islands (United Kingdom) • Cuba • Dominica • Dominican Republic • Grenada • Guadeloupe (France) • Haiti • Jamaica • Martinique (France) • Montserrat (United Kingdom) • Netherlands Antilles (Netherlands) • Puerto Rico (United States) • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Lucia • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Trinidad and Tobago • Turks and Caicos Islands (United Kingdom) • United States Virgin Islands (United States)
Central America:
Belize • Costa Rica • El Salvador • Guatemala • Honduras • Nicaragua • Panama

Oceania Australasia:
Australia • Christmas Island (Australia) • Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australia) • New Zealand • Norfolk Island (Australia)
Pacific Islands:
American Samoa (United States) • Cook Islands (New Zealand) • Fiji • French Polynesia (France) • Guam (United States) • Kiribati • Marshall Islands • Micronesia • Nauru • New Caledonia (France) • Niue (New Zealand) • Northern Mariana Islands (United States) • Palau • Papua New Guinea • Samoa • Solomon Islands • Tonga • Tuvalu • United States Minor Outlying Islands (United States) • Vanuatu • Wallis and Futuna (France)

South America South America:
Argentina • Bolivia • Brazil • Chile • Colombia • Ecuador • Falkland Islands (United Kingdom) • French Guiana (France) • Guyana • Paraguay • Peru • Suriname • Uruguay • Venezuela


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Budget
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Hello Jusine Clinton :)

This article does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2008)

For the rental car company, see Budget Rent a Car.
For the insurance car company Budget, see Budget Group of Companies.
A budget (from French bougette, purse) is generally a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving and spending.[1] A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods. In other terms, a budget is an organizational plan stated in monetary terms.

In summary, the purpose of budgeting is to:

Provide a forecast of revenues and expenditures i.e. construct a model of how our business might perform financially speaking if certain strategies, events and plans are carried out.
Enable the actual financial operation of the business to be measured against the forecast.
Contents [hide]
1 Business start-up budget
2 Corporate budget
3 Event management budget
4 Government budget
5 Personal or family budget
6 Budget types
7 See also
8 References
9 External links


[edit] Business start-up budget
The process of calculating the costs of starting a small business begins with a list of all necessary purchases including tangible assets (for example, equipment, inventory) and services (for example, remodeling, insurance), working capital, sources and collateral. The budget should contain a narrative explaining how you decided on the amount of this reserve and a description of the expected financial results of business activities. The assets should be valued with each and every cost.







[edit] Corporate budget
The budget of a company is often compiled annually, but may not be. A finished budget, usually requiring considerable effort, is a plan for the short-term future, typically one year (see Budget Year). While traditionally the Finance department compiles the company's budget, modern software allows hundreds or even thousands of people in various departments (operations, human resources, IT etc) to list their expected revenues and expenses in the final budget.

If the actual figures delivered through the budget period come close to the budget, this suggests that the managers understand their business and have been successfully driving it in the intended direction. On the other hand, if the actuals diverge wildly from the budget, this sends an 'out of control' signal, and the share price could suffer as a result.

[edit] Event management budget
A budget is a fundamental tool for an event director to predict with reasonable accuracy whether the event will result in a profit, a loss or will break-even. A budget can also be used as a pricing tool.

[edit] Government budget
For more details on this topic, see Government budget.
The budget of a government is a summary or plan of the intended revenues and expenditures of that government. The United States federal budget is prepared by the Office of Management and Budget, and submitted to Congress for consideration. Invariably, Congress makes many and substantial changes. Nearly all American states are required to have balanced budgets, but the federal government is allowed to run deficits.

The United Kingdom budget is prepared by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the second most important member of the government, and must be passed by Parliament. Parliament seldom makes changes to the budget.

[edit] Personal or family budget
For more details on this topic, see Personal budget.
In a personal or family budget all sources of income (inflows) are identified and expenses (outflows) are planned with the intent of matching outflows to inflows (making ends meet.) In consumer theory, the equation restricting an individual or household to spend no more than its total resources is often called the budget constraint.

[edit] Budget types
Sales budget: The sales budget is an estimate of future sales, often broken down into both units and dollars. It is used to create company sales goals.

Production budget: Product oriented companies create a production budget which estimates the number of units that must be manufactured to meet the sales goals. The production budget also estimates the various costs involved with manufacturing those units, including labor and material.

Cash Flow/Cash budget: The cash flow budget is a prediction of future cash receipts and expenditures for a particular time period. It usually covers a period in the short term future. The cash flow budget helps the business determine when income will be sufficient to cover expenses and when the company will need to seek outside financing.

Marketing budget: The marketing budget is an estimate of the funds needed for promotion, advertising, and public relations in order to market the product or service.

Project budget: The project budget is a prediction of the costs associated with a particular company project. These costs include labor, materials, and other related expenses. The project budget is often broken down into specific tasks, with task budgets assigned to each.

Revenue budget: The Revenue Budget consists of revenue receipts of government and the expenditure met from these revenues. Tax revenues are made up of taxes and other duties that the government levies.

Expenditure budget: A budget type which include of spending data items.

[edit] See also
Budget crisis
Budget Day
Budget overrun
Budget surplus
Budget theory
Canadian federal budget
Chancellor of the Exchequer (UK budget)
Deficit
Envelope System
Personal finance
Strategic misrepresentation
United States budget process
Union budget of India
United Kingdom budget
Variance analysis (accounting)
Zero-based budgeting


[edit] References
^ Sullivan, arthur; Steven M. Sheffrin (2003). Economics: Principles in action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458: Pearson Prentice Hall. pp. 502. ISBN 0-13-063085-3. http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZ3R9&PMDbSiteId=2781&PMDbSolutionId=6724&PMDbCategoryId=&PMDbProgramId=12881&level=4.
[edit] External links
Origin of the word
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Devon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Devon (disambiguation).
Devon

Flag
Motto of County Council: Auxilio divino (Latin: By divine aid)

Geography
Status Ceremonial & (smaller) Non-metropolitan county
Region South West England
Area
- Total
- Admin. council
- Admin. area Ranked 4th
6,707 km2 (2,590 sq mi)
Ranked 3rd
6,564 km2 (2,534 sq mi)
Admin HQ Exeter
ISO 3166-2 GB-DEV
ONS code
NUTS 3 UKK43
Demography
Population
- Total (2008 est.)
- Density
- Admin. council
- Admin. pop. Ranked 11th
1,141,600
170 /km2 (440/sq mi)
Ranked 12th
754,800
Ethnicity 98.7% White
Politics

Devon County Council
http://www.devon.gov.uk
Executive Conservative
Members of Parliament Ben Bradshaw (L)
Angela Browning (C)
Geoffrey Cox (C)
Linda Gilroy (L)/(Co-op)
Nick Harvey (LD)
Adrian Sanders (LD)
Alison Seabeck (L)
Anthony Steen (C)
Gary Streeter (C)
Hugo Swire (C)
Richard Younger-Ross (LD)

Districts

Exeter
East Devon
Mid Devon
North Devon
Torridge
West Devon
South Hams
Teignbridge
Plymouth (Unitary)
Torbay (Unitary)

Devon (pronounced /ˈdɛvən/) is a large county in England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, although that is an unofficial name, rarely used inside of the county itself and often indicating a traditional or historical context. The county shares borders with Cornwall to the west and Dorset and Somerset to the east. Its coastline follows the English Channel to the south and the Bristol Channel to the north.

Devon is the third largest of the English counties and has a population of 1,109,900. The county town is the cathedral city of Exeter and the county contains two independent unitary authorities: the port city of Plymouth and the Torbay conurbation of seaside resorts, in addition to Devon County Council itself. Plymouth is also the biggest city in Devon. Much of the county is rural (including national park) land, with a low population density by British standards. It contains Dartmoor 954 km2 (368 square miles), the largest open space in southern England [1].

The county is home to part of England's only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Dorset and East Devon Coast, known as the Jurassic Coast for its geology and geographical features. Along with its neighbour, Cornwall, Devon is known as the "Cornubian massif". This geology gives rise to the landscapes of Dartmoor and Exmoor, which are both national parks. Devon has seaside resorts and historic towns and cities, and a mild climate, accounting for the large tourist sector of its economy.

Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Toponymy
1.2 Human occupation
2 Economy and industry
3 Geography and geology
3.1 Climate
3.2 Ecology
4 Politics and administration
5 Cities, towns and villages
6 Religion
6.1 Later history
7 Symbols
7.1 Coat of arms
7.2 Flag
8 Place names and customs
9 Education
10 Cuisine
11 Sport
12 Famous Devonians
13 See also
14 References
15 Further reading
16 External links


[edit] History
Main article: History of Devon
[edit] Toponymy
The name 'Devon' derives from the name of the Celtic people who inhabited the southwestern peninsula of Britain at the time of the Roman invasion c. AD 50, known as the Dumnonii, thought to mean 'deep valley dwellers'. In the Brythonic Celtic languages, Devon is known as Dyfnaint (Welsh), Devnent in Breton and Dewnans (Cornish). (For an account of Celtic Dumnonia see the separate article.)

William Camden, in his 1607 edition of Britannia, described Devon as being one part of an older, wider country that once included Cornwall:

THAT region which, according to the Geographers, is the first of all Britaine, and, growing straiter still and narrower, shooteth out farthest into the West, […] was in antient time inhabited by those Britans whom Solinus called Dunmonii, […] But the Country of this nation is at this day divided into two parts, knowen by later names of Cornwall and Denshire, […]
—William Camden, Britannia.[2]
There is some dispute over the use of 'Devonshire' instead of Devon, and there is no official recognition of the term 'Devonshire' in modern times, except for the name of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. One erroneous theory is that the 'shire' suffix is due to a mistake in the making of the original letters patent for the Duke of Devonshire, resident in Derbyshire. However, there are references to 'Defenascire' in Anglo-Saxon texts from before 1,000 AD (this would mean 'Shire of the Devonians'),[3] which translates to modern English as 'Devonshire'. The term Devonshire may have originated around the 8th century, when it changed from Dumnonia (Latin) to Defenascir.[4]

[edit] Human occupation
Devon was one of the first areas of what is now England to be settled after the end of the last ice age. Dartmoor is thought to have been settled by Mesolithic hunter-gatherer peoples from about 6,000 BC. The Romans held the area under military occupation for around 250 years. Later the area became a frontier between Brythonic Dumnonia and Anglo-Saxon Wessex, and it was absorbed into Wessex by the mid 9th century.

Devon has also featured in most of the civil conflicts in England since the Norman Conquest, including the Wars of the Roses, Perkin Warbeck's rising in 1497, the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549, and the English Civil War. The arrival of William of Orange to launch the Glorious Revolution of 1688 took place at Brixham.

Devon has produced tin, copper and other metals from ancient times. Devon's tin miners enjoyed a substantial degree of independence through Devon's Stannary Parliament, which dates back to the 12th century. The last recorded sitting was in 1748.[5]

[edit] Economy and industry
Main article: Economy and industry of Devon
Like neighbouring Cornwall to the west, Devon is disadvantaged economically compared to other parts of Southern England, owing to the decline of a number of core industries, notably fishing, mining and farming. Consequently, most of Devon has qualified for the European Community Objective 2 status. The 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis harmed the farming community severely.[6]


Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tideThe attractive lifestyle of the area is drawing in new industries which are not heavily dependent upon geographical location[citation needed]; Dartmoor, for instance, has recently seen a significant rise in the percentage of its inhabitants involved in the financial services sector. In 2003, the Met Office, the UK's national and international weather service, moved to Exeter. Devon is one of the rural counties, with the advantages and challenges characteristic of these. Despite this, the county's economy is also heavily influenced by its two main urban centres, Plymouth and Exeter.[citation needed]

Since the rise of seaside resorts with the arrival of the railways in the 19th century, Devon's economy has been heavily reliant on tourism. The county's economy has followed the declining trend of British seaside resorts since the mid-20th century, with some recent revival. This revival has been aided by the designation of much of Devon's countryside and coastline as the Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks, and the Jurassic Coast and Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Sites. In 2004 the county's tourist revenue was £1.2 billion.[7]

[edit] Geography and geology
The principal geological formations of Devon are the Devonian (in north Devon, south Devon and extending into Cornwall); the granite batholith of Dartmoor in central Devon; and the Culm Measures (also extending into north Cornwall). There are small remains of pre-Devonian rocks on the south Devon coast.[8]

Devon gave its name to a geological era: the Devonian era, so named by Adam Sedgwick because the distinctive Old Red Sandstone of Exmoor was studied by geologists here. The whole of central Devon is occupied by the largest area of igneous rock in South West England, Dartmoor. Devon's third major rock system[citation needed] is the Culm Measures, a geological formation of the Carboniferous period that occurs principally in Devon and Cornwall. They are so called because of the occasional presence of a soft, sooty coal, which is known in Devon as culm.[citation needed] This formation stretches from Bideford to Bude in Cornwall, and contributes to a gentler, greener, more rounded landscape. It is also found on the western, north and eastern borders of Dartmoor.


Heathland at Woodbury Common in south east DevonDevon is the only county in England to have two separate coastlines; the South West Coast Path runs along the entire length of both, around 65% of which is named as Heritage Coast.[9] Devon has more mileage of road than any other county in England: before the changes to counties in 1974 it was the largest by area of the counties not divided into two or three parts. (its acreage was until 1974 1,658,288: only exceeded by the West Riding of Yorkshire).[10] The islands of Lundy and Eddystone are also in Devon.

Inland, the Dartmoor National Park lies wholly in Devon, and the Exmoor National Park lies in both Devon and Somerset. Apart from these areas of high moorland the county has attractive rolling rural scenery and villages with thatched cob cottages. All these features make Devon a popular holiday destination.

In South Devon the landscape consists of rolling hills dotted with small towns, such as Dartmouth, Ivybridge, Kingsbridge, Salcombe, and Totnes. The towns of Torquay and Paignton are the principal seaside resorts on the south coast. East Devon has the first seaside resort to be developed in the county, Exmouth and the more upmarket Georgian town of Sidmouth, headquarters of the East Devon District Council. Exmouth marks the western end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

North Devon is very rural with few major towns except Barnstaple, Great Torrington, Bideford and Ilfracombe. Devon's Exmoor coast has the highest cliffs in southern Britain, culminating in the Great Hangman, a 318 m (1043 ft) "hog-backed" hill with an 250 m (820 ft) cliff-face, located near Combe Martin Bay [11]. Its sister cliff is the 218 m (716 ft) Little Hangman, which marks the edge of Exmoor. One of the features of the North Devon coast is that Bideford Bay and the Hartland Point peninsula are both west-facing, Atlantic facing coastlines; so that a combination of an off-shore (east) wind and an Atlantic swell produce excellent surfing conditions. The beaches of Bideford Bay (Woolacombe, Saunton, Westward Ho! and Croyde), along with parts of North Cornwall and South Wales, are the main centres of surfing in Britain.

[edit] Climate
Devon has a mild climate all year round, with warm summers and cool/cold winters.

[hide]Weather data for Devon
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F 46 46 50 54 59 64 66 66 64 59 52 48 56
Average low °F 39 39 41 43 46 52 55 55 54 48 45 41 46
Average high °C 8 8 10 12 15 18 19 19 18 15 11 9 13.5
Average low °C 4 4 5 6 8 11 13 13 12 9 7 5 8
Source:

[edit] Ecology

Ponies grazing on Exmoor near Brendon, North DevonThe variety of habitats means that there is a wide range of wildlife (see Dartmoor wildlife, for example). A popular challenge among birders is to find over 100 species in the county in a day.[12] The county's wildlife is protected by the Devon Wildlife Trust, a charity which looks after 40 nature reserves. The botany of the county is very diverse and includes some rare species not found elsewhere in the British Isles other than Cornwall. Botanical reports begin in the 17th century and there is a Flora Devoniensis by Jones and Kingston in 1829, and a Flora of Devon in 1939 by Keble Martin and Fraser[13][14] There is a general account by W. P. Hiern and others in The Victoria History of the County of Devon, vol. 1 (1906); pp. 55–130, with map. Devon is divided into two Watsonian vice-counties: north and south, the boundary being an irregular line approximately across the higher part of Dartmoor and then along the canal.

Rising temperatures have led to Devon becoming the first place in modern Britain to cultivate olives commercially.[15]

[edit] Politics and administration
See also: Devon Council election, 2009

Exeter CathedralThe administrative centre of Devon is the city of Exeter. The largest city in Devon, Plymouth, and the conurbation of Torbay (including Torquay, Paignton and Brixham) have been unitary authorities since 1998 - separate from the remainder of Devon which is administered by Devon County Council for the purposes of local government.

Devon County Council is controlled by the Conservatives, and the political resprentation of its 62 councillors are: 41 Conservatives, 14 Liberal Democrats, four Labour, two Independents and one Green.[16] At a national level, Devon has five Conservative MPs, three Liberal Democrat MPs, and three Labour MPs.

In December 2007, the Department for Communities and Local Government referred Exeter City Council's bid to become a Unitary Council to the Boundary Committee for England, as they felt the application did not meet all their strict criteria. The Boundary Committee was asked to look at the feasibility of a unitary Exeter in the context of examining options for unitary arrangements in the wider Devon county area, and reported back in July 2008 recommending a 'unitary Devon' (excluding Plymouth and Torbay), with a second option of a 'unitary Exeter & Exmouth' (combined) and a unitary 'rest of Devon'. These proposals were put out to consultation until September 2008 and the Committee was expected to make final recommendations to the Secretary of State by the end of the year. As a result of a number of legal challenges to the process and also dissatisfaction on the part of the Secretary of State with the manner in which the Boundary Committee is assesing proposals, it now looks likely that a recommendation will not be forthcoming until March or April 2009.[17]

[edit] Cities, towns and villages
Main articles: List of places in Devon and List of towns and cities in Devon by population

The inner harbour, Brixham, south Devon, at low tideThe main settlements in Devon are the cities of Plymouth, a historic port now administratively independent, Exeter, the county town, and Torbay, the county's tourist centre. Devon's coast is lined with tourist resorts, many of which grew rapidly with the arrival of the railways in the 19th century. Examples include Dawlish, Exmouth and Sidmouth on the south coast, and Ilfracombe and Lynmouth on the north. The Torbay conurbation of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham on the south coast is perhaps the largest and most popular of these resorts, and is now administratively independent of the county. Rural market towns in the county include Axminster, Barnstaple, Bideford, Honiton, Newton Abbot, Okehampton, Tavistock, Totnes and Tiverton.

The boundary with Cornwall has not always been on the River Tamar as at present: until the late 19th century a few parishes in the Torpoint area were in Devon and five parishes now in north-east Cornwall were in Devon until 1974. (However for ecclesiastical purposes these were nevertheless in the Archdeaconry of Cornwall and in 1876 became part of the Diocese of Truro.)

[edit] Religion
Celtic and Roman practice were the first religion in Devon, although in the first centuries AD, Christianity in Devon began. Western Christianity was introduced into Devon along with the rest of Great Britain. Over time it became the official religion, superseding previous Early Christianity in Devon was spread largely by the saints. Devon like other parts of Britain, is sometimes associated with the distinct collection of practices known as Celtic Christianity[18] but was always in communion with the wider Roman Catholic Church. Many Cornish saints are commemorated also in Devon in legends, churches and placenames.

Saint Petroc is said to have passed through Devon, where ancient dedications to him are even more numerous than in Cornwall: a probable seventeen (plus Timberscombe just over the border in Somerset), compared to Cornwall's five. The position of churches bearing his name, including one within the old Roman walls of Exeter (Karesk), are nearly always near the coast reminding us that in those days travelling was done mainly by sea. The Devonian villages of Petrockstowe and Newton St Petroc are also named after Saint Petroc and the flag of Devon is dedicated to him.

The history of Christianity in the South West of England remains to some degree obscure. Parts of the historic county of Devon formed part of the diocese of Wessex, while nothing is known of the church organization of the Celtic areas. About 703 Devon and Cornwall were included in the separate diocese of Sherborne and in 900 this was again divided into two, the Devon bishop having from 905 his seat at Tawton (now Bishop's Tawton) and from 912 at Crediton, birthplace of St Boniface. Lyfing became Bishop of Crediton in 1027 and shortly afterwards became Bishop of Cornwall.

The two dioceses of Crediton and Cornwall, covering Devon and Cornwall, were permanently united under Edward the Confessor by Lyfing's successor Bishop Leofric, hitherto Bishop of Crediton, who became first Bishop of Exeter under Edward the Confessor, which was established as his cathedral city in 1050. At first the abbey church of St Mary and St Peter, founded by Athelstan in 932 and rebuilt in 1019, served as the cathedral.

[edit] Later history
In 1549, the Prayer Book Rebellion caused the deaths of thousands of people from Devon and Cornwall. During the English Reformation, churches in Devon officially became affiliated with the Church of England. The Methodism of John Wesley proved to be very popular with the working classes in Devon in the 19th century. Methodist chapels became important social centres, with male voice choirs and other church-affiliated groups playing a central role in the social lives of working class Devonians. Methodism still plays a large part in the religious life of Devon today, although the county has shared in the post-World War II decline in British religious feeling.

The Diocese of Exeter diocese remains the Anglican diocese including the whole of Devon. A Roman Catholic diocese was established at Plymouth in the mid 19th century.[19]

[edit] Symbols
[edit] Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Devon County CouncilThere was no established coat of arms for the county until 1926: the arms of the City of Exeter were often used to represent Devon, for instance in the badge of the Devonshire Regiment. During the forming of a county council by the Local Government Act 1888 adoption of a common seal was required. The seal contained three shields depicting the arms of Exeter along with those of the first chairman and vice-chairman of the council (Lord Clinton and the Earl of Morley).[20]

On 11 October 1926, the county council received a grant of arms from the College of Arms. The main part of the shield displays a red crowned lion on a silver field, the arms of Richard Plantagenet, Earl of Cornwall. The chief or upper portion of the shield depicts an ancient ship on wavers, for Devon's seafaring traditions. The Latin motto adopted was Auxilio Divino (by Divine aid), that of Sir Francis Drake. The 1926 grant was of arms alone. On 6 March 1962 a further grant of crest and supporters was obtained. The crest is the head of a Dartmoor Pony rising from a "Naval Crown". This distinctive form of crown is formed from the sails and sterns of ships, and is associated with the Royal Navy. The supporters are a Devon bull and a sea lion. [21][22]

The County Council adopted a 'ship silhouette' logo after the 1974 reorganisation, adapted from the ship emblem on the coat of arms, but following the loss in 1998 of Plymouth and Torbay re-adopted the coat of arms. In April 2006 the council unveiled a new logo which was to be used in most everyday applications, though the coat of arms will continue to be used for "various civic purposes".[23][24]

[edit] Flag
Main article: Flag of Devon
Devon also has its own flag which has been dedicated to Saint Petroc, a local saint with dedications throughout Devon and neighbouring counties. The flag was adopted in 2003 after a competition run by BBC Devon.[25] The winning design was created by website contributor Ryan Sealey, and won 49% of the votes cast. The colours of the flag are those popularly identified with Devon, for example, the colours of Exeter University, the rugby union team, and the Green and White flag flown by the first Viscount Exmouth at the Bombardment of Algiers (now on view at the Teign Valley Museum), as well as the county's most successful football team, Plymouth Argyle. On 17 October 2006, the flag was hoisted for the first time outside County Hall in Exeter to mark Local Democracy Week, receiving official recognition from the county council.[26]

[edit] Place names and customs

The beach at Westward Ho!, North Devon, looking north towards the Taw and the Torridge estuariesDevon's place names include many with the endings 'coombe/combe' and 'tor' - Coombe being the Brythonic word for 'valley' or hollow (cf Welsh 'cwm') whilst tor derives from a number of Celtic loan-words in English (Old Welsh twrr and Scots Gaelic tòrr) and is used as a name for the formations of rocks found on the moorlands. Its frequency is greatest in Devon, where it is the second most common place name component (after 'ton', derived from the Old English 'tun' meaning farm, village).

Devon has a variety of festivals and traditional practices, including the traditional orchard-visiting Wassail in Whimple every January 17th and the carrying of flaming tar barrels in Ottery St. Mary, where people who have lived in Ottery for long enough are called upon to celebrate Bonfire Night by running through the village (and the gathered crowds) with flaming barrels of tar on their backs.[27]

[edit] Education
Devon has a mostly comprehensive education system. There are 37 state and 23 independent secondary schools. There are three tertiary (FE) colleges and an agricultural college (Bicton College, near Budleigh Salterton). Torbay has 8 state (with 3 grammar schools) and 3 independent secondary schools, and Plymouth has 17 state (with 3 grammar schools - two female and one male) and 2 independent secondary schools. East Devon and Teignbridge have the largest school populations, with West Devon the smallest (with only two schools). Only one school in Exeter, Mid Devon, Torridge and North Devon have a sixth form - the schools in other districts mostly have sixth forms, with all schools in West Devon and East Devon having a sixth form. The county also plays host to two major UK universities, the University of Exeter (split between the Streatham Campus and St Luke's Campus both in Exeter and a campus in Cornwall); in Plymouth the University of Plymouth, the fourth largest university in the UK is present, along with the Marjon's College to the city's north. Both the universities of Exeter and Plymouth have co-formed the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry which is based in Plymouth. There is also Schumacher College.

[edit] Cuisine
Main article: Cuisine of Devon and Cornwall
The county has given its name to a number of culinary specialities. The Devonshire cream tea, involving scones, jam and clotted cream, is thought to have originated in Devon (though claims have also been made for neighbouring counties); in other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, it is known as a "Devonshire tea".[28][29][30] In New South Wales, Australia, Devon is a name for luncheon meat (processed ham).

In October 2008, Devon was awarded Fairtrade County status by the Fairtrade Foundation.

[edit] Sport
Devon has been home to a number of customs, such as its own form of wrestling. As recently as the 19th century, a crowd of 17,000 at Devonport, near Plymouth, attended a match between the champions of Devon and Cornwall. Another Devon sport was outhurling which was played in some regions until the 20th century (e.g. 1922, at Great Torrington). Other ancient customs which survive include Dartmoor step dancing, and 'Crying The Neck'.

Devon has three professional football teams, based in each of its three most populated towns and cities. Competing in the Football League Championship, Plymouth Argyle F.C. are the biggest and most successful team in the county whilst Exeter City F.C. play in Football League One. Torquay United compete in the Football League Two. Plymouth's best performance came in 1987 when they finished seventh in the Football League Second Division, while Torquay and Exeter have never progressed beyond the third tier of the league. The county's biggest non-league club is Tiverton Town F.C. which competes in the Southern Football League Premier Division.

Rugby Union is popular in Devon. Two teams — Plymouth Albion and Exeter Chiefs — are, as of 2009, in the Championship (the national second tier). In basketball, Plymouth Raiders play in the British Basketball League. Tamar Valley Cannons, also based in Plymouth, are Devon's only other representatives in the National Leagues. Motorcycle speedway is also supported in the county, with both the Exeter Falcons and Plymouth Devils succeeding in the National Leagues in recent years.

There are four rugby league teams in Devon. Plymouth Titans, Exeter Centurions, Devon Sharks from Torquay and East Devon Eagles from Exmouth. They all play in the Rugby League Conference.

Devon also boasts a field hockey club who play in the National Premier League - the University of Exeter Hockey Club

[edit] Famous Devonians
Main article: Notable people from Devon
Devon is known for its mariners, such as Sir Francis Drake, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Sir Richard Grenville, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Sir Francis Chichester. The poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the crime writer Agatha Christie, the painter and founder of the Royal Academy, Sir Joshua Reynolds, the dog breeder John "Jack" Russell and frontman Chris Martin from the English rock group Coldplay were born in Devon. Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Christopher Wolstenholme from the English group Muse all grew up in Devon. Actor Bradley James was born in Devon. Trevor Francis, former Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City professional footballer was born and brought up in Plymouth. Singer Joss Stone was also born and brought up in Devon as was Peter Cook the satirist, writer and comedian. Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes (poets).

[edit] See also
Category:Rivers of Devon
Dartmoor
Devonshire eggs
Jurassic Coast
List of monastic houses in Devon
List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Devon
North Devon Coast
West Country dialects
[edit] References
^ http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/nationalparks/dartmoor.aspx|Natural England: Dartmoor retrieved 13 May 2009
^ "William Camden, Britannia (1607) with an English translation by Philemon Holland - Danmonii". The University of Birmingham. http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/cornwalleng.html. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
^ "Manuscript A: The Parker Chronicle". http://asc.jebbo.co.uk/a/a-L.html. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
^ Davies, Norman (2000). The Isles: A History. pp. 207. ISBN 0333692837.
^ "Devon's Mining History and Stannary parliament". users.senet.com.au. http://users.senet.com.au/~dewnans/Devon_Stannary_History.html. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
^ In Devon, the county council estimated that 1,200 jobs would be lost in agriculture and ancillary rural industries — Hansard, 25th April 2001
^ Devon County Council, 2005. Tourism trends in Devon.
^ Edmonds, E. A., et al. (1975) South-West England; based on previous editions by H. Dewey (British Geological Survey UK Regional Geology Guide series no. 17, 4th ed.) London: HMSO ISBN 0-11-880713-7
^ Dewey, Henry (1948) British Regional Geology: South West England, 2nd ed. London: H.M.S.O.
^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1972; p. 631
^ http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/index/learning_about/moor_facts.htm|Exmoor National Park, National Park Facts |accessdate=2009-05-10
^ http://www.thebedandbreakfastguide.co.uk/DaysOut/devon.html
^ Jones, John Pike & Kingston, J. F. (1829) Flora Devoniensis. 2 pts, in 1 vol. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green
^ Martin, W. Keble & Fraser, G. T. (eds.) (1939) Flora of Devon. Arbroath
^ Paul Simons (2007-05-14). "Britain warms to the taste for home-grown olives". Times Online. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article1785059.ece. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
^ "Tories take over county council". The BBC. 2009-06-05. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8084708.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
^ "Boundary Committee publishes draft proposal for Devon". The Boundary Committee for England. 2008-07-07. http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/news-and-media/news-releases/boundary-committee-news-centre/structural-reviews/boundary-committee-publishes-draft-proposal-for-devon. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
^ Bowen, E. G. (1977) Saints, Seaways and Settlements in the Celtic Lands. Cardiff: University of Wales Press ISBN 0 900768 30 4
^ "Diocese of Plymouth". http://www.plymouth-diocese.org.uk/. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
^ A. C. Fox-Davies, The Book of Public Arms, 2nd edition, London, 1915
^ W. C. Scott-Giles, Civic Heraldry of England and Wales, 2nd edition, London, 1953
^ A brief history of Devon's coat of arms (Devon County Council)
^ Council's designs cause logo row (BBC News)
^ Policy and Resources Overview Scrutiny Committee Minutes, April 3 2006
^ BBC - Devon Community Life - Devon gets its own flag
^ Devon County Council Press Release, 16 October 2006
^ "Ottery Tar Barrels". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/discovering/legends/ottery_tar_barrels.shtml. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
^ Mason, Laura; Brown, Catherine (1999) From Bath Chaps to Bara Brith. Totnes: Prospect Books
^ Pettigrew, Jane (2004) Afternoon Tea. Andover: Jarrold
^ Fitzgibbon, Theodora (1972) A Taste of England: the West Country. London: J. M. Dent
[edit] Further reading
Oliver, George (1846) Monasticon Dioecesis Exoniensis: being a collection of records and instruments illustrating the ancient conventual, collegiate, and eleemosynary foundations, in the Counties of Cornwall and Devon, with historical notices, and a supplement, comprising a list of the dedications of churches in the Diocese, an amended edition of the taxation of Pope Nicholas, and an abstract of the Chantry Rolls [with supplement and index]. Exeter: P. A. Hannaford, 1846, 1854, 1889
Pevsner, N. (1952) North Devon and South Devon (Buildings of England). 2 vols. Penguin Books
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Devon (category)
Devon County Council
BBC Devon
Genuki Devon Historical, geographical and genealogical information
Devon at the Open Directory Project
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[show]v • d • eCeremonial county of Devon

Devon Portal

Unitary authorities Plymouth • Torbay

Boroughs or districts Exeter • East Devon • Mid Devon • North Devon • Torridge • West Devon • South Hams • Teignbridge

Major settlements Ashburton • Axminster • Barnstaple • Beer • Bideford • Bovey Tracey • Bradninch • Brixham • Buckfastleigh • Budleigh Salterton • Chagford • Chudleigh • Chulmleigh • Colyford • Colyton • Crediton • Cullompton • Dartmouth • Dawlish • Exeter • Exmouth • Great Torrington • Hartland • Hatherleigh • Holsworthy • Honiton • Ilfracombe • Ivybridge • Kingsbridge • Moretonhampstead • Newton Abbot • North Tawton • Northam • Okehampton • Ottery St Mary • Paignton • Plymouth • Princetown • Salcombe • Seaton • Sidmouth • South Molton • Tavistock • Teignmouth • Tiverton • Torquay • Totnes
See also: List of civil parishes in Devon

Rivers Ashburn • Avon • Axe • Barle • Bovey • Burn • Clyst • Creedy • Culm • Dart • East Dart • West Dart • Erme • Exe • Heddon • Lemon • Lew • Lumburn • Lyd • Meavy • Mole • Okement • East Okement • West Okement • Otter • Plym • Sid • Swincombe • Tamar • Tavy • Taw • Teign • Thrushel • Torridge • Walkham • Wallabrooke • East Webburn • West Webburn • Wolf • Yealm

Topics Economy • Flag • History • Notable people • Dartmoor • Exmoor • Jurassic Coast • Towns by population • South West Coast Path


Coordinates: 50°42′N 3°48′W / 50.7°N 3.8°W / 50.7; -3.8
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South West England
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This article is about the region. For the European constituency, see South West England (European Parliament constituency).
South West England
South West region shown within England
Geography
Status Region
Area
— Total Ranked 1st
23,829 km²
9,200 sq mi
NUTS 1 UKK
Demographics
Population
— Total
— Density Ranked 7th
4,928,458
207 /km2 (536/sq mi)
GDP per capita £18,195 (4th)
Government
HQ Bristol / Plymouth
Leadership South West Strategic Leaders' Board
Regional development South West of England RDA
European parliament South West England
Website
South West England is one of the regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area, covering 9,200 square miles (23,828 km2) including Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It has a population of almost five million, and includes the area often known as the West Country, and much of Wessex. The size of the region is shown by the fact that the northern part of Gloucestershire, near Chipping Campden, is as close to the Scottish border as it is to the tip of Cornwall.[1] The largest city is Bristol, and other major urban centres include Plymouth, Swindon, Bournemouth, Gloucester, and Exeter.

Traditionally, the South West of England has been well known for producing Cheddar cheese, which originated in the Somerset village of Cheddar, for Devon cream teas, and for cider. It is now probably equally well known as the home of the Eden Project, Aardman Animations, the Glastonbury festival, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, trip hop music and also Cornwall's famous seafood restaurants and surfing beaches. Two National Parks and four World Heritage Sites, including Stonehenge, fall within the region's boundaries. Key data and facts about the region are produced by the South West Observatory.

Contents [hide]
1 Geography
1.1 Geology and landscape
1.2 Climate
1.3 Settlements
1.4 Transport
1.4.1 Transport policy
2 History
2.1 Pre-Roman
2.2 Roman period
2.3 Pre-Norman
2.4 Middle Ages
2.5 Modern history
3 Demographics
4 Economy and industry
4.1 Cornwall
4.2 Devon
4.3 Dorset
4.4 Gloucestershire
4.5 Somerset
4.6 Wiltshire
5 Sub-divisions
5.1 Local government
6 South West Regional Assembly
7 Politics
8 Education
9 Local media
10 References
11 External links


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England


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High Willhays on Dartmoor, Devon: the region's highest point.[edit] Geology and landscape
Most of the South West occupies a peninsula between the English Channel and Bristol Channel. It has 702 miles (1,130 km) of coastline[2]—the longest of any region of England—much of which is now protected from further substantial development because of its environmental importance, which contributes to the region’s attractiveness to tourists and residents.

Geologically the region is divided into the largely igneous and metamorphic west and sedimentary east, the dividing line slightly to the west of the River Exe.[3] Cornwall and West Devon's landscape is of rocky coastline and high moorland, notably at Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor National Park. These are due to the granite and slate that underlie the area. The highest point of the region is High Willhays, at 2,039 feet (621 m), on Dartmoor.[4] In North Devon the slates of the west and limestones of the east meet at Exmoor National Park. The variety of rocks of similar ages seen here have led to the county's name being lent to that of the Devonian period.

The east of the region is characterised by wide, flat clay vales and chalk and limestone downland. The vales, with good irrigation, are home to the region's dairy agriculture. The Blackmore Vale was Thomas Hardy's "Vale of the Little Dairies";[5] another, the Somerset Levels was created by reclaiming wetlands.[6] The Southern England Chalk Formation extends into the region, creating a series of high, sparsely populated and archaeologically rich downs, most famously Salisbury Plain, but also Cranborne Chase, the Dorset Downs and the Purbeck Hills. These downs are the principal area of arable agriculture in the region. Limestone is also found in the region, at the Cotswolds, Quantock Hills and Mendip Hills, where they support sheep farming.[7] All of the principal rock types can be seen on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset and East Devon, where they document the entire Mesozoic era from west to east.[8]

[edit] Climate
Main article: Climate of south-west England
The climate of South West England is classed as oceanic (Cfb) according to the Köppen climate classification. The oceanic climate typically experiences cool winters with warmer summers and precipitation all year round, with more experienced in winter. Annual rainfall is about 1,000 millimetres (39 in) and up to 2,000 millimetres (79 in) on higher ground.[9] Summer maxima averages range from 18 °C (64 °F) to 22 °C (72 °F) and winter minimum averages range from 1 °C (34 °F) to 4 °C (39 °F) across the south-west.[10] It is the second windiest area of the United Kingdom, the majority of winds coming from the south-west and north-east.[11] Government organisations predict the region to rise in temperature and become the hottest region in the United Kingdom.[12]

Inland areas of low altitude experience the least amount of precipitation. They experience the highest summer maxima temperatures, but winter minima are colder than the coast. Snowfalls are more frequent in comparison to the coast, but less so in comparison to higher ground.[13] It experiences the lowest wind speeds and sunshine total in between that of the coast and the moors. The climate of inland areas is more noticeable the further north-east into the region.

In comparison to inland areas, the coast experiences high minimum temperatures, especially in winter, and it experiences slightly lower maximum temperatures during the summer. Rainfall is the lowest at the coast and snowfall is rarer than the rest of the region. Coastal areas are the windiest parts of the peninsula and they receive the most sunshine. The general coastal climate is more typical the further south-west into the region.

Areas of moorland inland such as: Bodmin moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor experience lower temperatures and more precipitation than the rest of the south west (approximately twice as much rainfall as lowland areas), because of their high altitude. Both of these factors also cause it to experience the highest levels of snowfall and the lowest levels of sunshine. Exposed areas of the moors are windier than lowlands and can be almost as windy as the coast.

[edit] Settlements

Pulteney Bridge in Georgian Bath, Somerset: the entire city is a World Heritage Site.The South West region is largely rural, with small towns and villages; a higher proportion of people live in such areas than in any other English region. The largest cities and towns are Bristol, Plymouth, Bournemouth and Poole (collectively the South East Dorset conurbation), Swindon, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Torbay, Exeter, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Salisbury, Taunton and Weymouth. The population of the South West is about five million.[14]

[edit] Transport
The region lies on several main line railways. The Great Western Main Line runs from London to Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance in the far west of Cornwall. The South Western Main Line runs from London and Southampton to Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth in Dorset. The West of England Main Line runs from London to Exeter via south Wiltshire, north Dorset and south Somerset. The Wessex Main Line runs from Bristol to Salisbury and on to Southampton. The Heart of Wessex Line runs from Bristol in the north of the region to Weymouth on the south Dorset coast via Westbury, Castle Cary and Yeovil, with most services starting at Gloucester.

Three major roads enter the region from the east. The M4 motorway from London to South Wales via Bristol is the busiest. The A303 cuts through the centre of the region from Salisbury to Honiton, where it merges with the A30 to continue past Exeter to the west of Cornwall. The A31, an extension of the M27, serves Poole and Bournemouth and the Dorset coast. The M5 runs from the West Midlands through Gloucestershire, Bristol and Somerset to Exeter. The A38 serves as a western extension to Plymouth. There are three other smaller motorways in the region, all in the Bristol area.

[edit] Transport policy
As part of the transport planning system the Regional Assembly is under statutory requirement to produce a Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) to provide long term planning for transport in the region. This involves region wide transport schemes such as those carried out by the Highways Agency and Network Rail.[15]

Within the region the local transport authorities carry out transport planning through the use of a Local Transport Plan (LTP) which outlines their strategies, policies and implementation programme.[16] The most recent LTP is that for the period 2006-11. In the South West region the following transport authorities have published their LTP online: Bournemouth U.A.,[17] Cornwall U.A.,[18] Devon,[19] Dorset,[20] Gloucestershire,[21] Plymouth U.A.,[22] Somerset,[23] Swindon U. A.,[24] Torbay U. A.[25] and Wiltshire unitary authority.[26] The transport authorities of Bath and North East Somerset U. A., Bristol U. A., North Somerset U. A. and South Gloucestershire U. A. publish a single Joint Local Transport Plan as part of the West of England Partnership.[27]

[edit] History
In many histories of the region the South West is taken to cover only Devon and Cornwall.[28] The remaining counties are often taken to be part of Wessex.[29]


Stonehenge in Wiltshire, one of the UK's most famous landmarks.[edit] Pre-Roman
There is some evidence of human occupation of southern England before the last ice age, such as Kent's Cavern in Devon, but largely in the south east. The British mainland was connected to the continent during the ice age and humans may have repeatedly migrated into and out of the region as the climate fluctuated. There is evidence of human habitation in the caves at Cheddar Gorge 10,000–11,000 years BC, during a partial thaw in the ice age. The landscape at this time was tundra. Britain's oldest complete skeleton, Cheddar Man, lived at Cheddar Gorge around 7150 BC (the Upper Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age), shortly after the end of the ice age,[30] however it is unclear whether the region was continually inhabited during the previous 4,000 years, or if humans returned to the gorge after a final cold spell. The earliest scientifically dated cemetery in Britain was found at Aveline's Hole in the Mendip Hills. The human bone fragments it contained, from about 21 different individuals, are thought to be between roughly 10,200 and 10,400 years old.[31][32] During this time the tundra gave way to birch forests and grassland and evidence for human settlement appears at Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire and Hengistbury Head,Dorset.

The region was heavily populated during the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age periods. Many monuments, barrows and trackways exist. Coin evidence shows that the region was split between the Durotriges, Dobunni and Dumnonii.

[edit] Roman period
During the Roman era, the east of the region, particularly in the Cotswolds and eastern Somerset, was heavily Romanised but was much less so in Devon and Cornwall, though Exeter was the regional capital. Villas, farms and temples relating to the period exist in the region, including the remains at Bath.

[edit] Pre-Norman
Main articles: Wessex and Constitutional status of Cornwall
After the Romans left at the start of the fifth century AD, the region split into several British kingdoms, including Dumnonia, centred around the old tribal territory of the Dumnonii. The upper Thames area soon came under Anglo-Saxon control but the remainder of the region was British controlled until the 6th century. The Anglo-Saxons then gained control of the Cotswold area but most of Somerset, Dorset and Devon (as well as Cornwall) remained in British hands until the late 7th century. Although King Alfred had lands in Cornwall, it continued to have a British king. It is generally considered that Cornwall came fully under the dominion of the English Crown in the time of Athelstan's rule, i.e. 924-939. In the absence of any specific documentation to record this event, supporters of Cornwall's "English status" presume that it was made a part of England as a result. However, within a mere five years of Athelstan's death, King Edmund issued a charter, in AD 944, styling himself "King of the English and ruler of this province of the Britons". Thus we can see that then the "province" was a territorial possession, which has long claimed a special relationship to the English Crown.

During the latter part of the pre-Norman period, the eastern seaboard of modern day England became increasingly under the sway of the Norse. Eventually England became ruled by Norse monarchs, and the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms fell one by one, with Wessex being conquered in 1013 by King Sweyn Forkbeard. Notably, while Sweyn's realms, which included Denmark and Norway in the north, and modern day English areas such as Mercia (an Anglian kingdom of the current Midlands), much of which, along with northern England, fell under the "Danelaw". But while Sweyn ruled Wessex, along with his other realms, from 1013 onwards, followed by his son Canute the Great, Cornwall was not part of his realm of Wessex. A map by the American historian called the "The Dominions of Canute" (pictured just above) show that Cornwall, like Wales and Scotland, was neither part of Sweyn Forkbeard's nor Canute's Danish empire. Neither Sweyn Forkbeard nor Canute properly conquered or controlled Scotland, Wales or Cornwall; these modern day Celtic nations were both "client nations" who had to pay a yearly tribute or danegeld to both Sweyn and Canute, but, provided they did so, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall could keep their autonomy from the Danes. Ultimately, the Danes' control of Wessex was lost in 1042 with the death of both of Canute's sons (Edward the Confessor retook Wessex for the Saxons) but nevertheless this important piece of history, that Cornwall was not part of the Danes' empire, is critical and shows that both the Saxons and the Danes had very little political input into Cornwall during the pre-Norman conquest era.

[edit] Middle Ages

The statue of Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) on Plymouth HoeAfter the Norman Conquest the region was controlled by various Norman lords and later by local lords of the manor. The period saw the growth of towns in the region but they remained comparatively small. Wealth grew from sheep farming in the east of the region while tin mining was important in Devon and Cornwall. The organisation of the region was based on the various shires, which remained largely unchanged throughout the period. During the reign of Elizabeth I there was a "Council of the West".

The British language probably was little spoken outside Cornwall during this period, and retreated westward until it was no longer a first language by the 18th century.

[edit] Modern history
The boundaries of the South West Region are essentially the same as those devised by central government in the 1930s for civil defence administration, and subsequently used for various statistical analyses. The region is also identical (subject to minor boundary adjustments) to that used in the 17th century Rule of the Major-Generals under Cromwell. (For further information, see Historical and alternative regions of England).

By the 1960s, the South West Region (including Dorset, which for some previous purposes had been included in a Southern region), was widely recognised for government administration and statistics. The boundaries were carried forward into the 1990s, when regional administrations were formally established as Government Office Regions. A regional assembly and regional development agency were added in 1999.

However, except as an administrative tool, the South West does not have a historically based unity, which has led many to criticise it as an artificial construct. The large area of the region, stretching as it does from the Isles of Scilly to Gloucestershire, encompasses diverse areas who have no more in common with each other than with other areas of England. The region has several TV stations and newspapers covering different areas, and - unlike almost all other English regions - has no acknowledged single regional "capital". The people of the region generally do not feel a 'South West' regional identity, often preferring a county (or Duchy) based affiliation.

[edit] Demographics
Key population data for
South West England[33]
Total population 4,928,434
Foreign born 9.4%
White 97.7%
Asian 0.7%
Black 0.4%
Christian 74.0%
Muslim 0.5%
Hindu 0.2%
No religion 16.8%
Over 75 years old 9.3%
Unemployed 2.6%
According to the 2001 census the population of the South West region was 4,928,434.[33] It had grown in the last 20 years by 12.5% from 4,381,400 in mid-1981, making it the fastest growing region in England. Teignbridge in Devon had the largest population gain with 26.3% and Devon as whole grew by 17.6%. Population falls occurred in Bristol and Plymouth.[34] For top-tier authorities, Torbay has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the region,[35] with Exeter the highest rate for council districts. For top-tier authorities, North Somerset (closely followed by Bath & NE Somerset) has the lowest rate, with Cotswold having the lowest rate for council districts.

[edit] Economy and industry

Historic docks on Bristol Harbour, within the region's most productive economy
Since the decline of mining, Cornwall's economy has been reliant on agriculture and tourismThe most economically productive areas within the region are Bristol, the M4 corridor and south east Dorset which are all areas with the best links to London. Bristol alone accounts for a quarter of the region's economy, with the surrounding areas of Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire accounting for a further quarter.[36]

Bristol's economy has been built on maritime trade including the import of tobacco and the slave trade). Since the early 20th century, however, aeronautics have taken over as the basis of Bristol's economy, with companies including Airbus UK, Rolls-Royce (military division) and British Aerospace manufacturing in Filton. More recently defence, telecommunications, information technology and electronics have been important industries in Bristol, Swindon and elsewhere. VOSA, the Soil Association, Clerical Medical, Bristol Water, and the Bristol and West Bank are in Bristol; Orange United Kingdom and the Environment Agency are based at Aztec West (South Gloucestershire); Indesit makes tumble dryers in Yate; and HP have a large site at Stoke Gifford. The South West Observatory's Economy Module provides a detailed analysis of the region's economy.[37]

The electricity for the area formerly looked after by SWEB, is now looked after by Western Power Distribution, owned by the American company, PPL.

The region's Gross value added (GVA) breaks down as 69.9% service industry, 28.1% production industry and 2.0% agriculture. This is a slightly higher proportion in production, and lower proportion in services, than the UK average. Agriculture, though in decline, is important in many parts of the region. Dairy farming is especially important in Dorset and Devon, and the region has 1.76 million cattle, second to only one other UK region, and 3,520 square miles (9,117 km2) of grassland, more than any other region. Only 5.6% of the region's agriculture is arable.[36]

Tourism is important in the region, and in 2003 the tourist sector contributed £4,928 million to the region's economy.[38] In 2001 the GVA of the hotel industry was £2,200 million, and the region had 13,800 hotels with 250,000 bed spaces.[36]

There are very large differences in prosperity between the eastern parts of the region and the west. While Bristol is the second most affluent large city in England after London,[39] some parts of Cornwall and Devon have among the lowest average incomes in the UK. Cornwall in particular relies on tourism. The county has the lowest GVA per head of any county or unitary authority in the country,[40] contributes only 6.5% of the region's economy and receives EU Objective One funding.[41] Around five million people visit the county each year.[42] Cornwall's poor economic performance is partly caused by its remoteness and poor transport links,[36] and by the decline of its traditional industries, such as mining, agriculture and fishing.

[edit] Cornwall
Main article: Economy of Cornwall
[edit] Devon
Main article: Economy and industry of Devon
Eclipse Internet is in Exeter.

[edit] Dorset
See Economy and industry of Dorset

[edit] Gloucestershire
Endsleigh Insurance, Kraft Foods UK, UCAS, Messier-Dowty UK and GCHQ are in Cheltenham. The Cheltenham & Gloucester bank is in Gloucester. The Colt Car Company UK (who own Mitsubishi) are in Cirencester. The Stroud & Swindon Building Society and Ecotricity are in Stroud.

[edit] Somerset
Main article: Economy of Somerset
The Royal Marines have a large base near Taunton with their training centre at Lympstone. Screwfix is in Yeovil and Clarks shoes is in Street, although most of its shoes are made in the Far East. Leisure Connection is in Shepton Mallet, home of Blackthorn Cider. Wessex Water, the Gaymer Cider Company and Rotork are in Bath. Westland Helicopters (now AgustaWestland) is in Yeovil and Weston-super-Mare. Yeo Valley Organic is in Blagdon.

[edit] Wiltshire

Salisbury Cathedral at 123 m (404 ft) which is the tallest in the UKThe Early Learning Centre and a large factory of Honda are in South Marston. Nearby, Castrol, Triumph International UK, the Nationwide Building Society, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, Intel UK, the British Computer Society, the National Trust (responsible for the area of the UK except Scotland), W H Smith and RWE npower, are in Swindon. Dyson is in Malmesbury. Virgin Mobile is in Trowbridge. Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury attracts many tourists. Ovaltine and Options are made by Twinings in Pewsey.

[edit] Sub-divisions
The region covers much of the historical area of Wessex (omitting only Hampshire and Berkshire), and all of the Celtic Kingdom of Dumnonia which comprised Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Somerset and Dorset. In terms of local government, it was divided after 1974 into Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. Avon has since been abolished, and several mainly urban areas have become unitary authorities.


[edit] Local government
The official region consists of the following geographic counties and local government areas:

Map Ceremonial county Shire county / unitary Districts
Somerset 1. Bath and North East Somerset UA
2. North Somerset UA
11. Somerset CC South Somerset, Taunton Deane, West Somerset, Sedgemoor, Mendip
3. Bristol UA
Gloucestershire 4. South Gloucestershire UA
5. Gloucestershire CC Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Cotswold, Stroud, Forest of Dean
Wiltshire 6. Swindon UA
7. Wiltshire UA
Dorset 8. Dorset CC Weymouth and Portland, West Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, East Dorset, Christchurch
9. Poole UA
10. Bournemouth UA
Devon 12. Devon CC Exeter, East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon, Torridge, West Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge
13. Torbay UA
14. Plymouth UA
Cornwall Isles of Scilly sui generis UA
15. Cornwall UA

UA = unitary authority CC = county council

[edit] South West Regional Assembly

Durdle Door in Dorset is part of the Jurassic Coast, England's only natural World Heritage Site.Although referendums had been planned on whether elected assemblies should be set up in some of the regions, none was planned in the South West. The South West Regional Assembly (SWRA) was the regional assembly for the South West region, established in 1999. It was based in Exeter and Taunton. The SWRA was a partnership of councillors from all local authorities in the region and representatives of various sectors with a role in the region's economic, social and environmental well-being. There was much opposition to the formation of the SWRA with critics saying it was an unelected unrepresentative and unaccountable "quango", and the area covered is an artificially imposed region and not natural. It was stated that by having the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall in the west being in the same region as Gloucestershire in the east, geographically it would be the same for example as linking London with Yorkshire. The Regional Assembly was wound up in May 2009, and its functions taken on by the Strategic Leaders' Board (SLB) of South West Councils.[43]

There is some controversy over the status of Cornwall. Some consider it to be a nation in its own right. The British Government's position is that Cornwall is a county of England and is far too small to become a region, having around one fifth of the population of the smallest existing English region. However, many other countries such as Canada and the United States, have provinces and states of diverse sizes, and independent states like Iceland exist which have a smaller population than Cornwall.

[edit] Politics
The South West is mixed politically. In the UK Parliament, the Conservatives hold 22 seats, the Liberal Democrats 16 and Labour 12.

South West England is one of the constituencies used for elections to the European Parliament. From the 2004 election onwards, Gibraltar has been included within the constituency for the purpose of elections to the European parliament only. As of the 2009 European Parliament election, it is represented by three Conservative, two UKIP and one Liberal Democrat Member of European Parliament (MEP).[44]

[edit] Education
See also: List of schools in the South West of England
Somerset, the former area of Avon, Swindon and Cornwall have comprehensive schools. The other counties have some selective schools. Gloucestershire has six, Wiltshire has two (both in Salisbury), Poole has two, Bournemouth has two, Devon has one, Plymouth has two and Torbay has three. In the Top Ten schools in the South West, by A level results, all ten are selective schools.

At GCSE in 2008, Bath and North East Somerset performs the best, closely followed by Gloucestershire and Poole, then Dorset and Wiltshire (both equal). Also above the UK average are North Somerset, Devon, Bournemouth, South Gloucestershire and Torbay, in descending order. The South West performs well at GCSE, with the only exception being the City of Bristol which is very low performing, and to a smaller extent, Swindon.[45]

At A level in 2008, Bournemouth performs the best, and does so consistently every year, ahead of all the other areas including most of England. Gloucestershire again performs well, being next best, closely followed by Poole and then Wiltshire. These areas are the only ones in the South-West above the England average, and all four have some selective schools. Somerset and North Somerset do much better than the other areas, but under the England average. At A level, the South West is not quite as well performing as other areas. Dorset does not perform much lower at A level than GCSE on average, but Bristol performs much better at A level than GCSE. Swindon performs the worst, although Plymouth has had that position in recent years.

[edit] Local media
Local media include:

Two BBC regions - BBC South West, based in Plymouth which has the Spotlight programme and BBC West based in Clifton in Bristol with the Points West regional programme. ITV West is based in Bristol and Westcountry Television is based in Plymouth. Their joint news programme is The West Country Tonight. Parts of Dorset, including Bournemouth and Poole, also receive BBC South and ITV Meridian from Southampton.
BBC Radios Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Solent (Dorset), Bristol, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire.
Commercial radio stations are Kiss 101 (Bristol), Orchard FM (Taunton), Star 107.2 (Bristol), Bristol's GWR FM, Bath FM, Pirate FM, Atlantic FM (St Agnes, Lantern FM (Barnstaple), Heart FM (Exeter), Severn Sound (Gloucester), Wiltshire's GWR FM (Swindon), Bath's GWR FM, Palm 105.5 (Torquay), Plymouth Sound FM, South Hams Radio (Kingsbridge), Bridgwater's 107.4 BCR FM, Ivel FM (Yeovil), Quay West Radio (Watchet), Star 107.7 (Weston-super-Mare), Spire FM (Salisbury), Wessex FM (Dorchester), Vale FM (Shaftesbury) 3TR FM (Warminster), Fire 107.6 (Bournemouth), 2CR FM (Bournemouth), and Brunel FM (Swindon).
Regional newspapers include the Bristol Evening Post, Western Daily Press, the Dorset Echo, the Exeter Express and Echo, Western Morning News, the North Devon Journal, Cornish Guardian, West Briton (Truro), The Cornishman, Wiltshire Times (Trowbridge), Gloucestershire Echo, Gloucester Citizen, Plymouth Evening Herald, Torquay Herald Express, Swindon Advertiser and the Salisbury Journal (Salisbury).
[edit] References
^ South West Regional Assembly, Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West, para.1.1.1
^ South West Regional Assembly, Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West, paras.1.1.3 and 7.2.1
^ "Information Sheet 1E: The Dartmoor granite and associated igneous rocks". Dartmoor National Park Authority. http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/sheet_1e-b.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
^ "High Willhays". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=9545. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
^ "Direct From Dorset Producer case study". Western Gazette (This is Dorset). 2009-01-16. http://www.thisisdorset.co.uk/westerngazette/news/Direct-Dorset-Producer-case-study/article-612470-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
^ Williams, Robin; Romey Williams (1992). The Somerset Levels. Bradford on Avon: Ex Libris Press. ISBN 0948578386.
^ Duff, K.L.; A.P. McKirdy & M.J. Harley (1985). New sites for old: A students guide to the geology of the east Mendips. Nature Conservancy Council. ISBN 0861393198.
^ "Dorset and East Devon Coast". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 2001. http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=1029. Retrieved 2007-01-14.
^ "South-west England: Rainfall". The Met Office. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/southwestengland/rainfall.html. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
^ "South-west England: Temperature". The Met Office. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/southwestengland/temperature.html. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
^ "South-west England: Wind". The Met Office. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/southwestengland/wind.html. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
^ "South west faces temperature jump". BBC News Online. 2009-06-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/8108383.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
^ "South-west England: Snowfall". The Met Office. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/southwestengland/snowfall.html. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
^ "Population". South West RDA. http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/region/population.shtm. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
^ "Regional Transport Strategy: the National Picture". Government Office for the South West. http://www.gos.gov.uk/gosw/transporthome/regtransstrat/?a=42496. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "The LTP Process". Department for Transport. http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/theltpprocess. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "Bournemouth 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". Bournemouth Borough Council. http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/Residents/roads/transport/LTP/default.asp. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "Cornwall 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". Cornwall Council. http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4595. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "Devon 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". Devon County Council. http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/transportroads/devon_local_transport_plan/dltp.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "Dorset 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". Dorset County Counci. http://www.dorsetforyou.com/index.jsp?articleid=2579. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "Gloucestershire 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". Gloucestershire County Council. http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=10987. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "Plymouth 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". Plymouth City Council. http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/transportandstreets/transportplanning/ltp2006-2011.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "Somerset 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". Somerset County Council. http://www.somerset.gov.uk/somerset/ete/transport/localtransportplans/localtransportplan2/index.cfm?override=publications&pubid=. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "Swindon 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". Swindon Borough Council. http://www.swindon.gov.uk/roadstransport/transportplan.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "Torbay 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". Torbay Borough Council. http://www.torbay.gov.uk/index/transport-streets/transport/transportpolicy/transportplan.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "Wiltshire 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". Wiltshire Council. http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/parkingtransportandstreets/roadandtransportplans/localtransportplan2.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ "West of England Partnership 2006-11 Local Transport Plan". West of England Partnership. http://www.westofengland.org/transport/jltp/final-joint-local-transport-plan-200607-201011. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
^ For example, The South West to 1000 AD - M Todd, Historical Atlas of the South West England - Kain and Ravenhill
^ Wessex to 1000 AD
^ "Cheddar Man". RN-DS Partnership. http://www.rn-ds-partnership.com/reconstruction/cheddarman.html. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
^ "Earliest British cemetery dated" (PDF). BBC News. http://www.somerset.gov.uk/media/896B4/MendipAONB.pdf. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
^ "Aveline's Hole – An Early Mesolithic Cemetery Site in the Mendips". Rick Schulting. http://www.qub.ac.uk/arcpal/Rick%20Research/aveline's.html. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
^ a b United Kingdom Census 2001 (2001). "Key Figures for 2001 Census: Census Area Statistics: Area: Bath and North East Somerset". statistics.gov.uk. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadDatasetList.do?a=3&b=3567719&c=Somerset&d=180&e=16&g=397814&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1197489822531&enc=1&altAreaId=276833. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
^ "Census 2001 results show South West is fastest growing region". 2001 Census. Office of National Statistics. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/press_release_sw.asp. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
^ "Disappointment as teen pregnancies increase". This is South Devon. 2009-06-20. http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Disappointment-teen-pregnancies-increase/article-1093382-detail/article.html. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
^ a b c d "Portrait of South West England: Economy". Eurostat & Office for National Statistics, 2004. http://forum.europa.eu.int/irc/dsis/regportraits/info/data/en/ukk_eco.htm. Retrieved 2006-04-14.
^ Economy Module
^ "Tourism contribution figures". South West Regional Development Agency. http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/region/tourism.shtm. Retrieved 2007-06-16.
^ Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2004. "Competitive European Cities: Where do the Core Cities stand? Urban Research Summary 13." Page 12 (PDF).
^ Office for National Statistics, 2003. "Top 5 and Bottom 5 GVA per head of population."
^ DEFRA, n.d. "Objective 1 and 2 areas in England."
^ Cornwall Tourist Board, 2003. Tourism in Cornwall.
^ Strategic Leaders' Board
^ "European Election 2009: South West". BBC News Online. 2009-06-08. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/elections/euro/09/html/ukregion_36.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
^ "City pupils' poor score in GCSEs". BBC News. BBC. 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/4168709.stm. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: South West England
Visit South West England - Official Regional Tourist Board
Government Office for the South West
Government's list of councils in the South West
[show]v • d • eThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

England • Wales • Scotland • Northern Ireland


Regions of England: East of England • East Midlands • London • North East • North West • South East • South West • West Midlands • Yorkshire and the Humber


[show]v • d • e Districts of South West England

Devon East Devon · Exeter · Mid Devon · North Devon · South Hams · Teignbridge · Torridge · West Devon

Dorset Christchurch · East Dorset · North Dorset · Purbeck · West Dorset · Weymouth and Portland

Gloucestershire Cheltenham · Cotswold · Forest of Dean · Gloucester · Stroud · Tewkesbury

Somerset Mendip · Sedgemoor · South Somerset · Taunton Deane · West Somerset

Unitary authorities Bath and North East Somerset · Bournemouth · Bristol · Cornwall · Isles of Scilly · North Somerset · Plymouth · Poole · South Gloucestershire · Swindon · Torbay · Wiltshire

[show]v • d • eUnited Kingdom

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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_West_England"
Categories: Government Office Regions | NUTS 1 statistical regions of the European Union | West Country | South West EnglandViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsTry Beta Log in / create account Navigation
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