Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WEST CORNWALL
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St Ives
POP 9870
Huddled at the end of a peninsula fringed by golden sands and glittering sea, St Ives is un-
questionably one of Cornwall's prettiest coastal towns. Historically the town was an im-
portant pilchard harbour, but it reinvented itself as a haven for the arts after a stream of in-
fluential painters and sculptors set up studios here during the 1920s and '30s.
These days it's a blend of boutique chic and old-fashioned seaside. From the old harbour,
a maze of cobbled alleys and switchback lanes lead up into a jumble of bistros, cafes and
artists' galleries. The recent influx of big brands along the main street has done little to en-
hance St Ives' alternative character, but away from the centre you'll still find solitude along
the quieter lanes of the old town, locally known as 'Downalong'.
Traffic (of all kinds) can be hellish during the peak season, and parking is both expensive
and infuriating. There are large car parks around the edges of town, but a more peaceful
way to arrive is aboard the single-carriage railway, which chugs its way along the coastline
from St Erth and offers grandstand views over the Atlantic.
The town's name is a derivation of St Eia, who supposedly sailed here from Ireland on a
leaf.
 
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