The Par BellThe community of Par Bay is made up of three specific areas/villages including Par, St Blazey and Tywardreath. They are three quite distinct settlements, with some very clear differences – of outlook as well as of economic and social structure.
Par Beach itself includes a local nature reserve and the brackish pool known as Polmear Lake or the Duck Pond. The area sits on the Meadfoot Beds of the Lower Devonian - essentially various layers of mudstones, siltstones and sandstones or sandy siltstones. The dunes are still building, which is unusual in the UK, as most sandy coastlines have retreated in the last 100 years. In fact the high tide mark moved about 100m towards the sea between 1885 and 1985. The dunes are an important flood defence.
The history of the locality, and the beach itself, is dominated by the china clay industry, with its dryers working 24/7.
