THIS little stretch of golden sand captured the imaginations of people from across the globe.

To own your own surfing beach, complete with nearby seal colony, is something most people can only dream about.

But now that dream has become a reality for one former Cornish resident.

Upton Towans beach at Gwithian, in St Ives Bay, sold at auction this week for £80,000.

Property auctioneers Colliers CRE said they received inquiries from investors as far afield as the United States and China.

With its view over Godrevy Island – thought to be the inspiration for Virginia Woolf's 1927 novel To the Lighthouse – its literary connections were as much of a draw as its golden sand.

Spokesman Richard Argles said that on the day there was "a good lot of bidding".

A three-way bidding war erupted, with international competition, which sent the price rocketing above its original guide price of £50,000.

But the winning bidder, who has chosen to remain anonymous, is understood to be relatively local – a former Cornish resident now living in London.

Many people might be curious to know what plans the new owner has for his idyllic property.

Rules state that the 71-acre beach and five acres of dunes cannot be built upon and must not be used for extracting minerals.

But Mr Argles said: "I would think that the beach would be left as it is, with no other use by the new owner at all."

The beach was previously owned by Hall for Cornwall trustee Dennis Arbon and funds from the sale will go towards supporting the venue.

Tim Brinkman, director of the Hall for Cornwall, said: "This is wonderful news and we are very grateful to Dennis Arbon, a former trustee and now honorary president of Hall for Cornwall, for his generosity in donating the beach to us. Now the auction has taken place, we will be deciding how the money raised can be best used to benefit the sustainable future of Hall for Cornwall."

Spokesperson for the hall, Sue Wolstenholme, was happy with the sale and that the final figure was so much higher than the £50,000 guide price.

She said: "It's not been a very easy year financially for the hall – the attendance's haven't gone down, but grant funding has been down."

"The council gives money and the Arts Council gives us money, but we are also dependent on local people and their donations.

"It's such a great gift he has given us; he has been hugely supportive over the years."

● Don't miss our Property supplement included in your Cornishman every week.