Perhaps the nicest approach to
St Ives is by way of the train from
St Erth along the coastline through
Lelant and
Carbis Bay. Another great view of the old fishing town is from the path winding down from the car park above the town.
St Ives has been a busy fishing port since the Middle Ages and is believed to have been settled as early as the Bronze Age. Nowadays, the fishing has given way to tourism as the main industry, particularly since the opening of the Tate Gallery. This, together with the Barbara Hepworth Museum has had a knock on effect in St Ives, leading to the opening of many more galleries and studios. The St Ives Museum has some interesting exhibits about wrecking.
Art has played a part in the life of St Ives for almost 200 years. Turner painted a landscape here in 1811. Although many other artists visited and painted in the area, it was not until the 1920s that the town became a centre for the arts. It was at this time that Bernard Leach started his pottery here and soon many more artists and writers were following in his footsteps, notably Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth. This was the start of the St Ives School, but a new group of artists are making their marks in the area today.
The hump of land jutting out to sea is known as the Island and is the site of the ancient Chapel of St Nicholas, restored in 1971. Below this is Porthgwidden Beach, an ideal place for swimming. Round the corner and overlooked by the Tate Gallery is Porthmeor, one of the major surfing beaches in the area. Below the town are the Harbour Beach and Porthminster Beach. The latter beach was a popular place for tourists during the Second World War, when so many other beaches were out of bounds to the public. Ideal for families is the long sandy beach at Carbis Bay, a short way along the coast.
The Church of St Ia dominates the St Ives skyline and the old town is clustered around it. Built in the early 15th century, it is well-worth a visit if only to see the Madonna and Child carving by Hepworth in the Lady Chapel. The harbour pier with its octagonal cupola was built between 1767 and 1770. There are lots of narrow, winding streets filled with fishermen’s cottages, between the harbour seafront and Back Road West. These days there are lots of cafés and places to eat, from pasty shops to excellent restaurants.
Overlooking St Ives is the Knill Monument, a tower built in the 18th century by one John Knill, mayor of the town in 1767. To fulfil the terms of his will, every 5 years 10 young girls dressed in white dance through the streets and up to the tower, At the top, they are joined by 2 widows and the mayor who dance around the monument with them whilst spectators sing the 100th psalm.
Another local custom is Hurling the Silver Ball, which should be held on the first Monday of February. The mayor throws the ball from the church wall in the middle of the morning. It is then thrown from person to person, through the streets and down to the beach, until noon when the person holding it receives a small prize.