Romantic beach in Cornwall hides a heartbreaking secret

FOR years there had been a myth about a woman’s death at a secluded UK beach. This photographer has now discovered it wasn’t a myth at all.

CRANTOCK beach in Cornwall might just be the most romantic spots in the UK.

The cove has a secret love message that can only be seen by tourists at low tide.

The Sun reports the beach has long been the subject of whispers about a hidden cave that contains romantic drawings dedicated to a woman who drowned at sea.

But the myth has now been proven, thanks to photographer Tom Last.

Last, who risked getting stranded by returning water in the small caves on the far side of the beach near Newquay, has proved the existence of the carvings by snapping them when the tide was out.

His photographs show the carving of a woman, a horse and a poem.

ONE TIME WEB USE ONLY - FEE APPLIES FOR REUSE - The Crantock rock carving on Crantock Beach, Devon that reveal a beautiful secret at low tide.See SWNS story SWCAVE; Images reveal a hidden poem carved inside a Cornish cave which is only accessible at low tide. Crantock might only be a stone's throw from Newquay, Cornwall's liveliest resort, but its location between the two Pentire headlands ensures it remains a place of peace and tranquility. On the far side of the beach, an intriguing series of small caves hidden in the cliff walls hold a secret few could ever spot without knowing what to look for. Only at low tide can you see the mythical Crantock rock carving, which is the stuff of legend in the local area. Picture: SWNS/Mega

According to local folklore, a woman was riding her horse on the beach in the early 20th century and was cut off by the tide and drowned, never to be seen again.

Her partner, known locally as Joseph Prater, then went looking for her, and carved the poem into the wall of the cave as a tribute.

The poem reads: “Mar not my face but let me be, secure in this lone cavern by the sea. Let the wild waves around me roar, kissing my lips for evermore.”

It’s now been proved that Joseph Prater did actually exist.

He is listed in an English trade directory in 1930 as Joseph Henry Prater and living at West Pentire, just above the cave. He is said to have worked in a local dairy.

ONE TIME WEB USE ONLY - FEE APPLIES FOR REUSE - The Crantock rock carving on Crantock Beach, Devon that reveal a beautiful secret at low tide.See SWNS story SWCAVE; Images reveal a hidden poem carved inside a Cornish cave which is only accessible at low tide. Crantock might only be a stone's throw from Newquay, Cornwall's liveliest resort, but its location between the two Pentire headlands ensures it remains a place of peace and tranquility. On the far side of the beach, an intriguing series of small caves hidden in the cliff walls hold a secret few could ever spot without knowing what to look for. Only at low tide can you see the mythical Crantock rock carving, which is the stuff of legend in the local area. Picture: SWNS/Mega

Joseph was baptised in Cubert Church just two miles from the beach in 1860, and was the son of Nathan and Susan Prater.

His father was a farm worker and it is possible that the family home was at Halwyn in Crantock parish.

Records show in 1913, Joseph married a woman by the name of Lillie Jenkin — who could be the woman who was lost at sea.

The existence of the picture and poem has long been talked about by some locals — but has now been proven in the photographer’s photos.

ONE TIME WEB USE ONLY - FEE APPLIES FOR REUSE - The Crantock rock carving on Crantock Beach, Devon that reveal a beautiful secret at low tide.See SWNS story SWCAVE; Images reveal a hidden poem carved inside a Cornish cave which is only accessible at low tide. Crantock might only be a stone's throw from Newquay, Cornwall's liveliest resort, but its location between the two Pentire headlands ensures it remains a place of peace and tranquility. On the far side of the beach, an intriguing series of small caves hidden in the cliff walls hold a secret few could ever spot without knowing what to look for. Only at low tide can you see the mythical Crantock rock carving, which is the stuff of legend in the local area. Picture: SWNS/Mega

Any holiday-maker looking to visit the inscription are being advised to exercise extreme caution though.

The tides can change extremely quickly and anyone without expert local knowledge of the sea could easily be caught out and stranded within the cave — without an escape route as the water rises.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced here with permission.