Quirky Cornish Place Names
Boobys Bay
Booby’s Bay, named after the famed flat-footed bird, is a nice dog-friendly beach that is well-liked by surfers in North Cornwall. Walking around the nearby beachfront is highly recommended; you might even see the bird that bears the name of the beach!
Shag Rock
Shag Rock, another amusing place name derived from birds, is really located in three separate places in Cornwall. There are several options for beach, stroll, and geological sightseeing nearby, including Shag Rock Beach at Looe, Shag Rock Steps in Perranporth, and the well-known Shag Rock near Mevagissey!
Brown willy
Brown Willy, a hill situated on Bodmin Moor, may have a whimsical name, but there is a fascinating story behind it. Like many Cornish names, it has undergone some distortion. Originally known in Cornish as Bronn Wennili, which translates to “hill of swallows.” Interestingly, its summit stands as the highest point in Cornwall, towering 420 meters above sea level, surpassing Roughtor by 20 meters.
Minions
The accidental resemblance between the main characters in the movie “Minions” and the village led to a surge of visitors, attracted by the road sign. When the spin-off film “Minions” was released in 2015, the village replaced its regular sign with one displaying the movie’s logo.