North Cornwall

North Cornwall, former district, Cornwall unitary authority, southwestern England, in the northeastern part of the county. Most of the district fell within the historic county of Cornwall, but an area extending west from Werrington along the River Otter belonged to the historic county of Devon. The former North Cornwall district is an area of elevated, open terrain. Bodmin Moor, a bleak granite intrusive 800 to nearly 1,400 feet (240 to 425 metres) high, having only grass cover because of high winds and infertile soils, is at the centre of the southern border. A lower, rolling landscape comprising sedimentary soils suitable for fodder crops and the rough grazing of dairy cattle characterizes the southeast and southwest. The northern coast, 50 miles (80 km) long, is a wild, surf-beaten line of steep cliffs. Most of the cliffs and Bodmin Moor have been designated by the government as Areas of Outstanding Beauty.

The small coastal resorts of Padstow, Bude, Boscastle, and Tintagel cater to rock climbers and hikers. The village of Tintagel is, according to legend, the birthplace of King Arthur. The slate quarry at Delabole, 3 miles (5 km) south of Tintagel, has been worked continuously since the reign of Henry VII (1457–1509) to provide roofing stone for most of Cornwall. Bodmin, the former district seat, in the southwest and Launceston in the southeast are agricultural and light industrial centres. Both, at different times, were the seat of the county of Cornwall. Many prehistoric monoliths are found in the Bodmin Moor between Bodmin and Launceston. Fruits and vegetables are grown in the low-lying Tamar valley on the district’s (and Cornwall’s) eastern border. A transatlantic telephone cable extends from Widemouth Bay, near Bude in the extreme north, to Canada and the United States. Area 461 square miles (1,195 square km).