Colan

Colan is a civil parish in mid-Cornwall, located approximately three miles east of Newquay. Historically known as Little Colan or Lannwydhek, the parish has a dispersed, agricultural character, with the hamlets of Quintrell Downs, Lane, Bosoughan, and others scattered across a landscape of farmland and wooded valleys. The area has a sense of being inland and traditional, removed from the coastal tourism of nearby Newquay.

History: Colan takes its name from Saint Colanus, the patron saint of the parish church. The church, St Colanus, was built around 1250 by Bishop Walter Bronscombe and later annexed to Glasney College. The parish appears in medieval records, with the church valued in the 1294 Inquisition. The area was historically agricultural, with the economy based on farming and some involvement in the wool trade. Cornish wrestling tournaments were held at Colan in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The parish includes several historic farms and estates, including Fir Hill Manor, now in ruins within Fir Hill Woods. The population has grown modestly in recent decades, and today Colan functions as a residential area for commuters to Newquay and other nearby towns. The church retains its medieval character and remains the focus of the scattered parish.