You'll be surprised at how many high quality activities there are to fill your day:
art galleries, beaches with opportunities for surfing, sailing, fishing and diving, breathtaking coastal walks, world class restaurants, cosy cafes and friendly locals with tall stories to tell. Not to mention theatre, cinema, open air music and dance, sunbathing, shopping, sketching or people watching...
...so what would you like to do? If it's not in St Ives or Carbis Bay then it's surely not far away in Cornwall. Within easy distance of St Ives is the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, the Eden Project, Flambards theme park, Geevor, Levant and Poldark mines, aquariums, zoos and animal parks, Tate St Ives, Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange, the Penlee House Gallery and the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, our county town which has a magnificent cathedral and a thoroughly cosmopolitan mix of shops.
The warm Gulf Stream brings warm air to caress the tropical gardens at Trebah, Glendurgan, Trelissick, Trewidden, and many more whilst every corner has a scented bloom, unusual subtropical plant or a simple still life straight from Gaugin's palette. Here is a warm, wonderful paradise and a plantsman's dream.
See below for a taste of what St Ives and the surrounding area has to offer.
Recreation & Leisure
The St Ives Museum (Founded 1824)
A historian's dream and a fascinating insight into the past. Situated 75 yards from Smeaton's Pier, simply follow the signposts along the harbour front.The museum contains many varied displays and collections relating to the St Ives locality, plus the world's smallest dog (5 inches nose to tail)! Administered entirely by volunteers, this is a genuinely great museum, with plenty for all ages to discover and learn.
Entrance fee is £1.50 for adults, 50p for children. It is open Monday-Saturday from 10.00 am. Open from the Monday before Easter to the end of October (Autumn Half Term)
Address: Wheal Dream St Ives TR26 1PR
Tel: 01736 796005
Website: http://www.museumsincornwall.org.uk/museums/st-ives-museum
St Ives Boat Trips
St Ives Boat Trips to Seal Island - Grey Atlantic seals in their natural habitat, Basking sharks and dolphins often sighted
* Trips last 80 minutes
* Adults £9
* Children £7
Charter the James Stevens No.10 for you and your family or friends - we will take you on a trip along the coast to a sunny sheltered cove where we will drop anchor, serve you drinks to relax with and enjoy the scenery.
* Fully Licensed
* £120 for a 1.5 hour trip (up to 12 persons)
* Cornish ales and ciders
* Cornish sparkling wines
* Cornish lemondade, ginger beer and apple juice
* Cornish red and white wine
Tel: 0753 109 28 79
Website: http://www.stives-boat-trips.co.uk/
St Ives Surf Centre
Lessons and equipment hire from Easter to the end of October.
Address: Porthmeor Beach
Tel: 01736 793366
Attic Cellar Relaxation & Treatment Centre
Alternative & Traditional Massage therapies, genuine Finnish Sauna (seating 6 persons) Revitalising Aromatherapy Steam Capsule Advanced Professional Beauty Therapy (facials, waxing, Dermalogica skincare)
Address: Street-an-Garrow, St. Ives
Tel: 01736 799396
Website: http://www.atticcellar.co.uk
Royal Cinema
3 Screen cinema showing all the latest films.
Address: Royal Square, St. Ives TR26 2ND
Tel: 01736 796843
Website: http://www.britinfo.net/T/1003848.htm
St Ives Arts Club (Founded 1890)
St.Ives Arts Club has been in operation since its founding year in 1890.
Membership, originally restricted to professional artists, musicians and authors has been widened over the years to include, for example, drama, photography, comedy and even those with simply a keen interest in the arts.
The objectives of the society are to promote, develop and maintain public education and an appreciation of the arts in all their aspects by the presentation of public performance, concerts, recitals and exhibitions etc.
The club holds two members' exhibitions each year, hosts music, poetry, theatre and numerous other arts events.
The club is a registered charity (No 1001193) and owns its own premises, fronting directly onto the sea at Westcott's Quay.
Address: Westcott's Quay, St Ives TR26 2EA
Website: http://www.stivesartsclub.org/
Bagas Porthia - St Ives Town Band
If you're looking for a live (and lively) band which will play the sort of traditional local music that you just don’t hear much at the moment then perhaps we have the solution. Bagas Porthia – “St Ives Band” – is a group of musicians who love a good tune, and there certainly are plenty of good tunes in Cornwall. This assorted troupe of minstrels emerged from a variety of musical backgrounds through a shared love of Celtic music . Bagas Porthia plays a selection of great Celtic tunes and songs in their own unique style with mandolin, mandocello, guitar, melodeon, accordion, fiddle, pipes and a groovy percussion accompaniment . We can also include traditional, easy to follow Cornish dances - just like a ceilidh without the complications! It’s great fun and is suitable entertainment for all ages.
Address: Dee Brotherton email : bagasporthia@aol.com
Tel: 01736 799305
Website: http://www.bagasporthia.co.uk/
Guided Tours of St Ives - Art and History
These tours all meet outside the Tourist Information Office/Guildhall, Street-an-Pol in St Ives at 11 a.m. They cost £5 and last about an hour and a half with plenty of opportunities to sit. The routes are as level and as easy as is possible in St Ives. ‘St Ives Then and Now’ gives history and quirky information about St Ives and 'St Ives in the Frame’ a historical perspective to the art of St Ives.
During November and February all tours must be booked in advance, with the normal schedule (Then and Now on Mondays, In The Frame on Thursdays) resuming on 1st March. Group and Personalised Tours can be arranged at any time of year.
For more information and booking, please contact Valerie on 07816 180639.
It is much more interesting to be shown round town by an experienced guide. You’ll learn things that you can’t pick up on your own and have some fun!
St Ives certainly has a few surprises, so come on a tour and find out more.
Tel: Valerie 07816180639
Website: http://www.guidedtoursofstives.co.uk/
Guided Walks in West Cornwall by Western Discoveries
Every day of the week we run guided walks in West Cornwall. They are two to four hours long, feature the most interesting and beautiful spots of the region and are a great way to learn a little bit more about this fascinating peninsula.
Our day time walks tend to focus on the magical stone monuments that punctuate Penwith’s (West Cornwall’s) moors and coastline. Quoits, stone circles and burial chambers are found in greater abundance here than perhaps anywhere else in the British Isles and we take you on a tour through time. We have quoits (also called dolmans) from the Stone Age, standing stones from the Bronze Age, Celtic ruins and tin mines abandoned in the last century. Do these mysterious stones mark the graves of ancient warriors or do they tell tales of giants that once ruled the land? Archaeology and folklore play equal parts in Cornwall’s past and we’ll give you a bit of both.
With a detailed knowledge of local history and a twinkle in the eye we offer you a relaxed, interesting and invigorating walk across West Cornwall.
At present we walk seven days of the week at 10am, 1pm and 4pm. In the high season we can get busy so it is recommended to book in advance although it is generally fine to call the day before. The basic cost is £8 per person for two hours and free for children under 10 when accompanied by an adult. Transport is not included in this price.
Address: Western Discoveries, Chynoey, Newmill Penzance Cornwall TR20 8XW
Tel: 01736 362763
Website: http://www.westcornwallwalks.co.uk/guidedwalks.html
The Leach Pottery
Established in 1920 by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada, the Leach Pottery is widely regarded as the home of studio pottery.
One of the great figures of 20th century art, Leach played a crucial pioneering role in creating an identity for artist potters in Britain and around the world.
In March 2008, a £1.7 million capital project was completed, giving new life to the Leach Pottery and enabling it to set up in production.
After its extensive refurbishment the Leach Pottery is once again open to visitors.
The acknowledged birthplace of the modern studio pottery movement, as well as the modern workshops the pottery site includes a museum and gallery space for exhibitions, as well as a well-stocked shop.
The site includes the old workshop now kept as a museum, a changing exhibition of historical pottery, as well as a gallery of contemporary pots for sale. The new range of Leach Pottery tableware designed by Jack Doherty and made in the new workshops by ‘start-up’ potters is now on sale.
Opening Times 2009:
From 1st March to 31st October - Open 7 days a week.
Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm
From 1st November to 31st December - Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm
CLOSED ON SUNDAYS & MONDAYS
CLOSED Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Year's Day. OPEN on all other Bank holidays.
Admission : £4.50 adults, £3.50 concessions, inc. over 60s, Children FREE
Find us on the Land’s End road at the top of 'The Stennack' about 10 minutes walk from St.Ives town centre.
Address: Higher Stennack, St Ives TR26 2HE
Tel: 01736 799703
Website: http://www.leachpottery.com/
