Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as the “Tiger’s Nest”.
Bhutan • 11 days, 10 nights
Festivals & Temples of Bhutan
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Muc Lien’s 18 Gates of Hell.
Muc Lien's 18 Gates of Hell
Lighthouse and Museum of Jára Cimrman (Maják a muzeum Járy Cimrmana).
Lighthouse of Jára Cimrman
Markers honor 865 war dead.
Sovjet Ereveld (Soviet Field of Honor)
The intaglio leaves a subtle impression on the land along Riverside Drive in Fort Atkinson.
Panther Intaglio
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.
What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?
about 19 hours ago
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
3 days ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
4 days ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Newquay The Island, Newquay
AO Edited

The Island, Newquay

Sometimes an island, sometimes a rocky outcropping connected to the world by a tiny suspension bridge.

Newquay, England

Added By
Steve Clark
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennor/5237342...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennor/5237342...
There are a lot better photos on the web as you’d expect - http://www.panoramio.com/photo/2658897 for example.   My iPhone
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/brighton/7033...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/bispham2/3083...
would love to live here  
  gingercinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
Seen from below on beach   jonsgirl7701 / Atlas Obscura User
  jonsgirl7701 / Atlas Obscura User
From a distance   jonsgirl7701 / Atlas Obscura User
  jonsgirl7701 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

"The Island" of Newquay, Cornwall is joined to the mainland by a suspension bridge. Actually a 70-foot high rocky outcropping, it appears to be an island when the tide is in, but one can walk right up to it when the tide is out. The bridge was built in 1900 and is a suspension footbridge with a gentle bounce as you walk across. Though it wasn't designed with those suffering from acrophobia in mind, it is regularly inspected and very safe.

There's only one house on the tiny island, which can be rented as up-market self-catering accommodation. Surrounded by a beautiful garden which itself is surrounded either by the sands of Towan Beach or by the sea - depending on the time of day - the island is about 70 feet high and accessible only on foot via the suspension bridge.

In a strange claim to fame, the house was once the residence of Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge, the inventor of the spark plug, who is rumored to have entertained on The Island his friend Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, with whom he shared an interest in spiritualism. 

 

Related Tags

Islands Shops Eccentric Homes Places To Stay Homes

Know Before You Go

The island is easily visible from the beach, which is down steep steps or a slope down Beach Road. 

The bridge and the house can be seen at any time from the park above Blue Reef aquarium.

Community Contributors

Added By

Facebook645044639

Edited By

jooniur, JudeTO, jonsgirl7701, gingercinnamon...

  • jooniur
  • JudeTO
  • jonsgirl7701
  • gingercinnamon
  • peacefrog

Published

April 19, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • I stayed there last year on my honeymoon
The Island, Newquay
The House in the Sea
Newquay Island
Newquay, England, TR7 3JX
United Kingdom
50.422153, -5.053023
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Huer's Hut

Newquay, England

miles away

National Lobster Hatchery

Padstow, England

miles away

Roche Rock Hermitage

Roche, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Newquay

Newquay

England

Places 2

Nearby Places

The Huer's Hut

Newquay, England

miles away

National Lobster Hatchery

Padstow, England

miles away

Roche Rock Hermitage

Roche, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Newquay

Newquay

England

Places 2

Related Stories and Lists

11 'Sometimes' Islands You Can Walk to at Low Tide

List

By Meg Neal

Related Places

  • No Man’s Land

    Seaview, England

    No Man's Land

    This foolish Victorian sea fort was converted to a deluxe hotel.

  • Rocks and climbing routes in Margalef

    Margalef, Spain

    Margalef

    An isolated village literally built into the crevices and rock formations of a mountain.

  • Melnik, Bulgaria

    Historic Melnik

    This tiny Bulgarian town offers a stunning location in the mountains and a storied history.

  • Sheffield, Australia

    Tasmania's 'Town of Murals'

    The once-dying town of Sheffield, Tasmania has reinvented itself as a village of painted wonders.

  • Cottonwood, Idaho

    Dog Bark Park Inn

    Sweet Willy, at 30 feet tall, is the world's biggest beagle.

  • Barbara Hutton’s Japanese palace, in the shadow of the volcano Popocatépetl.

    Jiutepec, Mexico

    Camino Real Sumiya

    The tragic heiress Barbara Woolworth Hutton built her seventh husband this Japanese-inspired palace in Mexico.

  • Front entrance to the Whale House.

    Santa Barbara, California

    Whale House

    This stunning sea creature-shaped home blends into the landscape like a fantasy villa.

  • Akhzivland museum

    Nahariya, Israel

    Akhzivland

    The most peaceful "country" in the Middle East.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.