Boscastle
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Boscastle Cornish Kastel Boterel |
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| Coordinates | 50 ° 41 ′ N , 4 ° 42 ′ W | ||
| OS National Grid | SX098906 | ||
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| Post town | BOSCASTLE | ||
| ZIP code section | PL35 | ||
| prefix | 01840 | ||
| Part of the country | England | ||
| region | South West England | ||
| Shire county | Cornwall | ||
| Unitary authority | Cornwall | ||
| Civil Parish | Forrabury and Minster | ||
| British Parliament | North Cornwall | ||
Boscastle ( Cornish fort Boterel ) is a coastal town in the parish of Forrabury in the north of the English county of Cornwall on the Atlantic coast . The place is located in a narrow valley at the confluence of the Jordan, Valency and Paradise rivers.
Tourism is Boscastle's main source of income. The Elizabethan-style town center is arranged around the idyllic harbor. This was laid out in 1587 by Sir Richard Grenville and used until the 19th century for the removal of slate from the nearby quarries. The natural stone harbor walls also protect the site from storm surges . The harbor as well as large parts of the village and the surrounding area are looked after and maintained by the National Trust .
Also worth visiting is the Museum of Witchcraft , home to the world's largest collection of artifacts associated with magic. At the southern end of the village are the ruins of Bottreaux Castle from the 11th century , which gave the place its name. Most of the castle was demolished in the 16th century to use the stones for new houses in Boscastle. The place is also not far from the ruins of Tintagel Castle , which is still associated with King Arthur today. Another tourist attraction is the High Cliff , Cornwall's highest cliff at 221 m.
Flood disaster 2004
On the morning of August 16, 2004 , a violent storm raged over southern England, which caused the water level of the rivers through Boscastle to rise by two meters within an hour. At around 11 a.m. local time, a four-meter-high tidal wave finally shot through the narrow valley and tore over 50 cars and six buildings into the Atlantic. 20 other houses were so badly damaged that they later had to be demolished.
Less than 30 minutes later, one of the largest air rescue operations in British history began. Seven SAR helicopters of the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy salvaged over 150 people from the roofs of their homes. British media later spoke of the Boscastle miracle as there were no fatalities in the devastating flood. The total damage from the Boscastle flood is estimated at £ 40 million (€ 60 million).
