St Nectan's Glen Waterfall: Legend, Facts & Parking

I wish I knew about the legend of St Nectan’s Glen before visiting! Read on to find out how the hole was formed at the bottom of the waterfall too!

Who was St Nectan?

The glen is named after the 6th century Saint Nectan. Nectan is one of the most celebrated saints in the West of England.

Nectan sailed from Wales and landed at Hartland Point, on the border of Cornwall and Devon.

Nectan settled in the area around 500 CE and built his hermitage and chapel at the top of the glen near the River Trevillitt.

Nectan’s life came to an end at the hands of two robbers who beheaded the Saint.

Facts about St Nectan’s Glen Waterfall

St Nectan’s waterfall stands at an estimated 60ft in height. Such is the force of the water falling at such great heights, a large hole has appeared through a rock at the bottom.

Legend suggests fairies watch over the waterfall and the water has healing properties.

Coins and ribbons are left behind as offerings, mimicking traditions of the past when visiting sacred sites.

We forgot to grab some wishing ribbons where you buy tickets, make sure you don’t make the same mistake!

That’s a pretty big home, so you can imagine how powerful the waterfall must be!

I saw this a few times along the way, tree trunks with coins smashed into them!

Upon existing St. Nectan’s Glen waterfall, there was this tree trunk with a face carved into it. It really reminds me of the moon face from The Mighty Boosh!

Getting to St. Nectan’s Glen & Parking

Okay, St Nectan’s Glen is not the easiest of places to get to. The car park is a mile walk away. The address of the car park is Trethevy, Tintagel, PL34 0BE (Google Maps link)

The walk itself is not that easy either, with many steep steps to climb and uneven ground through a wooded area next to the River Trevillitt (the rain the night before made the path extra muddy and slippery, lovely!).

Luckily, there is a pretty good cafe once you reach the top. I recommend getting some Cornish ice cream too!

I can also recommend visiting Strangles beach, Boscastle Harbour and Dingles Fairground nearby.

We stayed in at a great Airbnb in Holsworthy if you’re looking for a place to stay!