Polzeath, United Kingdom

The catchment surrounding Polzeath is approximately 40,900 hectares and is drained by several streams. The Polzeath Brook stream rises near St Minver 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east, and with several tributaries drains farmland before flowing through the middle of the Valley Caravan Park campsite and into the sea across Polzeath beach. The Trenant Stream is 900m long and also crosses the beach, this time entering from the north-east corner. There is also a small stream 1.5 kilometres long, which flows onto Pentireglaze beach (also known as Baby Bay) which is at the northern end of Polzeath beach but is separated from it at high tide by Slipper Point.

Shilla Mill at the edge of Polzeath, stands at the confluence of the streams. Built around 1590, it ceased working as a mill in 1885 and was converted into a house.

Tourism developed in the 19th and 20th centuries to be the most significant part of the local economy. UK Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife holidayed there between 2010 and 2015.

The beach is a favourite destination for wealthy teenagers from independent schools who often engage in anti-social behaviour. In July 2022, police imposed a two-day 10pm curfew after drunken late-night beach parties of around 200 teenagers consistently got out of hand. Residents found broken prosecco bottles littering the beach, bonfires on the beach that were made from benches, fences and shed doors stolen from local houses and emergency life-saving equipment was vandalised. Local resident Andy Stewart, a former police officer, said the teenagers were often children of million-pound second home owners in the nearby village of Rock. He said, "They don't realise there is excessive drinking, cocaine, nitrous oxide, underage sex and big fires." Stewart has refused to identify the schools where many of the teenagers study, though he has been in contact with their senior staff. In 2023 a CCTV camera system was installed to watch the beach, along with rechargeable floodlights.