ST AGNES
The village
St Agnes is a picturesque and unspoilt village on the north
coast of Cornwall. The village combines a traditional friendly Cornish
atmosphere with a rich history in mining, fishing, schooner building,
and harbour trading. 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. Very enjoyable and and well worth a visit are Giant Bolster Day - celebrating 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
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.
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. Further information can be found in the St Agnes Museum, which is well worth a visit.
Further afield
Other popular places to visit in Cornwall are the Eden Project,
the Minack Theatre
and the Tate
Gallery.