Our Story

Lusty Glaze Beach is as rich in history as it is in beauty. The name is believed to derive from the Cornish translation of “a place to view blue boats”

The little blue boats were the transportation methods employed to take the ore away from the site and could clearly be seen moving to and from the town’s picturesque harbour from the surrounding clifftops. In order to move the bounty from the beach to the harbour during big seas, horses and carts would move the iron ore across the town beaches to the harbour.  It was for this reason that when Lusty Glaze Beach was transferred by the Crown, both the iron ore rights and the land was sold, giving the unique advantage ownership being to the low water mark. It is reported that it was purchased for the sum of £100.

Lusty Glaze is one of the few coastal beaches to have been rich in iron ore. To the right-hand side of this 120 acre site, a cave, once 200ft deep was mined for its minerals and abandoned in the late 1800’s. The site’s mining history is captured within the deep man-made scar which was carved out to winch ore deposit from the cove by horse and cart, and the awkward steps leading from the mouth of the cave to the top of the cliff. An ambitious project to create a tunnel from Lusty Glaze to St Columb Minor was abandoned in the 1800’s. It is unknown whether the mine ran dry or if it simply became financially unviable to continue with the excavation and transportation; but in approximately 1921, Lusty Glaze Beach commenced a new path in its history operating as a private ‘bathing resort’.

Lusty Glaze has, to this day, retained an element of this charm; purpose-built wooden huts replace the canvas stripes and it is favoured by the local community and families who prefer its quirkiness to the mass of tourism on the main Newquay beaches.

Since its original sale by the Crown, there have been 5 privileged owners. Cornish born and bred Tracey Griffiths, purchased the site in 1999 when it was in a derelict state and this is where perhaps the most dynamic stage of the site’s development began.

The site was purchased with the vision of maintaining a community focused Beach Resort but as the home of the UK’s first dedicated Rescue Training Centre.  For many years the site operated as a base for water and land-based training activities.  As both cultures and training needs changed, the centre diversified into a vibrant Outdoor Activity Centre establishing the business as one of Cornwall’s largest seasonal employers and attracting large numbers of both national and international visitors.

Once again as the leisure industry evolved, so did Lusty Glaze.  Tracey and her team slowly scaled back the Adventure Centre and concentrated on establishing the UK’s first licenced Beach Resort for Civil Marriages.  In addition to this, the team developed a first-class reputation for music events attracting some of the top international bands and artists.

Above all, Lusty Glaze Beach is our home.  Tracey and her team are passionate about the onerous responsibility in being this generations custodian of a large stretch of the Cornish coastline.  There is something magical about this beautiful cove, it captures your heart and soul. Its energy is powerful and in the last 20 years of her ownership, Tracey has witnessed the life changing effects the cove has had on many.  As the team continually evolves to balance the needs of the hospitality market and mother nature, we turn our attention to the future.

Just over 100 years ago, the first commercial owners of the site established the wooden buildings that remain in place today.  We are working hard in 2020 to develop a business and physical development plan that will serve Newquay and Cornwall for the next 100 years.  We are proud and excited to be the pioneers of this part in the cove’s history.

In the meantime, we continue to focus on what our fabulous team does so well:  We create memories.  We cater for sun-worshippers, stormy days in the rain, music lovers, holiday makers, adrenaline junkies, food lovers, wedding couples and those simply seeking some escape from the daily grind.  We do it all with passion and love.

We hope that you enjoy our home and your visit to Lusty Glaze Beach Resort.