Six miles to the north of Penzance, lies the beautiful costal Town of St Ives. Nestling on the shore of St Ives Bay, it is one of the nicest, quaint and colourful seaside resorts towns in the whole of Cornwall. Consisting of small granite cottages, and narrow cobbled streets, all surrounding its sheltered harbour.  People have probably lived in the place we now call St Ives for as long as there have been people in England. The  hunter-gathers came to England approximately 30,000 years ago. There are signs of settlements in the area during the Bronze, and Iron Ages, and the Romans built a villa here. However, the history of the present town really begins in Saxon times. They settled in the area after the collapse of the Roman empire, probably around the year 500 AD. They founded a small settlement called 'Slepe', which is an old Saxon word meaning "muddy". No structural evidence of this settlement however has been found and the first definitive date in the history of St Ives is 986. In that year the local Saxon landowner, Mannesonne, died and left his property to Ramsey Abbey, a Benedictine monastery about 10 miles away. Slepe, was later to be re-named St Ives,

In 1549, during the Prayer Book Rebellion, a very nasty atrocity took place in St Ives. A English Provost Marshall arrived and instructed the Mayor, one John Payne to erect a gallows. When the gallows were built the Provost Marshall then ordered the Mayor himself to mount the gallows, and promptly hung him for being a Roman Catholic. The prayer book rebellion was a particularly nasty slice of English history which occurred in 1540, when the government of Edward VI introduced a range of legislative measures, as an extension of the Protestant Reformation. The primary aim being to remove certain religious practices considered detrimental to the theology of the Church of England.

When the railway came to St Ives in 1877, St Ives along with most places in Cornwall quickly realized the railways potential, and that the future of the Town lay in catering for the many visitors who would flock in ever increasing numbers to beautiful Cornwall. Yes St Ives the holiday resort was brought in-to being. Because of it's location and scenery, St Ives soon became a very popular resort indeed. And before long the town resounded to the sound of happy holiday makers.

The famous artist's Turner, Whistler and young Sickert discovered Sy Ives and painted here in 1928. Then three other artists met in St Ives, and founded the artists colony, which survives to this-day. The names of the three artists, were Ben Nicholson, Alfred Wallis, and Christopher Wood. They were later joined by sculptor Naum Garbo, plus one of the outstanding women artists of the twentieth century, sculptor Barbara Hepworth. Many of the artists who came to St Ives are said to have been attracted by the light, which they all maintained had a magical effect on their paintings. Recently the Tate Gallery has opened a new gallery in St Ives. Which reflects the importance the Tate attachers to St Ives contribution to British art. In 1963, three people ( Benny Sirota, a potter,  Leslie Illsley, and Jan Thompson formed a partnership and took over an existing pottery named Wells Pottery in Wheel Dream, they named the new pottery they manufactured Troika: and the rest as they say is history; for before long it appeared that every holiday maker returned from Cornwall clutching a piece of Troika. But the real break-through came when Troika was sold in two prestigious stores Heal’s and Liberty. However the pottery was to have a very short life-span for in 1983, the potters wheel stopped turning, and the pottery closed for good.

One does not have to be an artist to appreciate the beauty of St Ives, for it is all around, from the miles of spectacular coast line, dotted with sandy beaches, the narrow winding country lanes, with hedgerow's of fushias, honeysuckle, and foxgloves, a profusion of sea and land bird's soaring in the vivid blue sky. But apart from the spectacular scenery St Ives has a lot more to offer. Yes there is something always happening throughout the year. With a vast array of venues, The Guildhall, hosts a festival from 8th September, till the 22nd September, The Western Hotel, also hosts a festival, starting on the 6th September, that runs till 23rd September, which includes local acts. There is the Royal Cinema, or St Ives Arts Club, and The Golden Lion public house, which  has live music most Fridays, and Saturdays. On hazy summer evenings the St Ives Concert Band, and other local brass bands regularly perform for the visitor on the harbour slipway.

Life in St Ives is still centered around the harbour where fishing boats still land good catches of freshest fish for the many excellent  local restaurants to nourish you with. Brought ashore on St Ives' ancient granite quays, the catch is of the highest quality and is quickly transported to some of Britain's finest restaurants. With a maze of tiny cobbled streets to wander through, lined by fishermen's cottages, there's a breathtaking seaside vista to greet you at the end of each one. Because of its very mild climate,  Palm trees and exotic flowers bask in the sun,  filling the air with scents: from honeysuckle, cordyline and roses. The many cafés and restaurants provide al-fresco dining and you can sit and eat as you watch the town comes alive. For St Ives has evolved into a cosmopolitan and chic resort. Enjoy the view across to Godrevy Lighthouse, immortalized by the novelist Virginia Woolf, who wrote her novel, To The Lighthouse; after a visit to Godfrey Headland, built in 1857, the lighthouse is now under the care of the National Trust. I recommend  taking a short boat trip to watch seals basking on the rocks in the sunshine. St Ives gets some spectacular sunsets, there is something magical, about watching the disappearing sun paint the sea and sky in glorious red. Sunset is the time to head to the local Inn or plan you're itinerary for the next day.For  St. Ives has something that will appeal to everyone, whatever the season. 

If you would like to link to this website please Email