St Agnes is a picturesque and unspoilt village on the north coast of Cornwall which combines a traditional friendly Cornish atmosphere with a rich history in mining, fishing, schooner building, and harbour trading.
St Agnes village
St Agnes and the surrounding area have a beautiful scenic coastline and stunning beaches, part of the Heritage Coast. These provide superb coastal walks boasting spectacular views.
St Agnes is a thriving village that celebrates many events over the course of the year. Don’t miss Giant Bolster Day, which celebrates the legend of St Agnes; Victorian Fayre Day; St Agnes Carnival and Lifeboat Day.
Local crafts and arts are on display in the village craft shops, which include art galleries, gift shops, jewellers and potteries.
St Agnes has a good selection of quality restaurants, with many specialising in fish and seafood.
Trevaunance Cove
Trevaunance Cove is very popular with families. The sheltered beach offers a safe and beautiful setting to relax and swim in. For the more adventurous there is always plenty to explore with a labyrinth of caves, the ruins of the harbour, rock pools, the fisherman’s daily catch and the activities of the RNLI inshore lifeboat to keep you occupied.
Chapel Porth beach
Chapel Porth beach is a spectacular National Trust beach. Low tide reveals over one and a half miles of beach and caves, a stunning backdrop of cliffs and old tin mine engine houses. Miners used to tell of how they could hear the Atlantic Ocean swells crashing down on the seafloor above them! You will be able to walk along the beach to neighbouring Porthtowan beach during low tides. The Chapel Porth café, famous for its Hedgehog ice creams and Croques, is definitely worth a visit.
The RNLI Lifeguard service operates on a daily basis on all beaches in the St Agnes area from the beginning of May to the end of September, 10am to 6pm.
St Agnes history
St Agnes boasts some of the most beautifully restored engine houses. During its heyday St Agnes was renowned for its high quality tin and copper, which was mined over a period of hundreds of years. Blue Hills Tin based at Trevellas is the only tin streaming works in production today in Cornwall.
The history of the local area can be found in Clive Benny’s excellent accounts of the history of Trevaunance Cove, the village and surrounding areas, available from the local bookshop. Well worth a visit is St Agnes Museum.
Further afield in Cornwall
Other popular places to visit in Cornwall are the Eden Project, the Minack Theatre and the Tate Gallery. See Cornwall’s highlights for more details.
