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.