Gwynver beach

Gwynver Beach (sometimes spelt "Gwenver") is the northern part of Whitesand Bay which is isolated as a separate beach as the tide comes in. It is also the area of the bay most exposed to prevailing southwesterly swells and consequently the gently-sloping sand is one of the best surfing spots in West Cornwall.

The name Gwynver is said to be derived from "Gwynevere" from the Arthurian legend, but this is probably Victorian fancy. The name is almost certainly from the Cornish word gwynn (meaning "white"). The second word is likely to have an initial consonant mutation - a feature of Celtic languages - and could be verr (mutated from berr, meaning "short") or vor (mutated from mor meaning "sea"). Cornish place names expert Craig Weatherhill suggests "white sea", and this would be consistent with it being well-known (even in Early Mediaeval times) for surf.