St Agnes is a popular village for visitors, and the landscape in and around St Agnes is rich with the historic remains of tin mining, including the iconic Wheal Coates Engine House above the cliffs near Chapel Porth, which has graced many a postcard and painting. The South West Coast Path runs along the cliffs by St Agnes and provides access to some stunning views over the Atlantic. There is a beach within easy reach to suit every taste, from rugged Chapel Porth, the family-friendly Trevaunance Cove or nearby Blue-Flag Beach Porthtowan, where you can eat at the Blue Bar as you watch the sun set over the sea. Cornwall is known as something of a surfer’s Mecca, and there are surf lessons or wetsuit and board hire, SUP sessions and kayaking adventures to be had locally for those game enough to try their hand at something new…
The village is served by a good range of local shops, including butchers, bakeries, coffee shops, greengrocers, pubs, restaurants, galleries and even a vet and doctors surgery if required. There are some excellent pubs and restaurants both in and around St Agnes, many with a focus on local, seasonal produce. For more information on local eateries, check the online guidebook (follow the link at the bottom of this page) Unlike some popular holiday hot-spots, St Agnes has a wonderful year-round community and so has a busy calendar of local events, from Bolster Day in May, Carnival in August, the Easter Sunday charity fundraising dog race, local theatre productions and not forgetting the traditional Christmas morning swim, which nowadays attracts hundreds of swimmers (wetsuits not allowed!)
Cornwall’s gardens are a source of local pride and rightly so. From the stunning sub-tropical Trebah, to the restored beauty of Heligan, the tropical and Meditteranean biomes of The Eden Project near St Austell – there is one for every taste. Cornwall’s waves are a big draw for surfers, and there are boards for hire and lessons to be found for those wanting to try it out for the first time. For art lovers St Ives is a must with the Tate and the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden, as well as the quaint streets and former fisherman’s cottages. Cornwall’s cathedral city Truro, is only 8 miles away and has a reasonable range of shops, supermarkets and a cinema. For kids there are attractions like Lappa Valley, Flambards, Paradise Park or Newquay Zoo.
Click to view an online guidebook on St Agnes, with info on local restaurants, beaches and places to visit