Sights in West Cornwall
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
A
Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden
Barbara Hepworth was one of the leading abstract sculptors of the 20th century, and a key figure in the St Ives art scene, so it seems fitting that her former studio has been transformed into a moving museum. The studio has remained practically untouched since her death in a fire in 1975, and the adjoining garden contains some of her most famous sculptures.
Hepworth was known for her use of geometric shapes and striking mix of natural materials and sculpted metal; many of her pieces show a fascination with pagan or primitive motifs, inspired by her fascination with Cornwall's prehistoric monuments. Works to look out for amongst the shrubs include the harplike Garden Sculp…
reviewed
-
B
Tate St Ives
The artwork almost takes second place to the surroundings at the stunning Tate St Ives, which hovers above Porthmeor Beach. Built in 1993, the gallery contains work by celebrated local artists, including Terry Frost, Patrick Heron and Barbara Hepworth, and hosts regular special exhibitions. On the top floor there's a stylish cafe-bar with imaginative bistro food and some of the best sea views in St Ives. A joint ticket with the Barbara Hepworth museum can be purchased for adult/child £8.75/4.50.
There are plenty more galleries around town; at the Sloop Craft Market you'll find a treasure trove of tiny artists' studios selling everything from handmade jewellery to driftwoo…
reviewed
-
C
St Ives Museum
Housed in a pierside building variously used as a pilchard-packing factory, laundry, cinema, sailors' mission, and copper mine, the St Ives Museum is a typically haphazard local-history museum, with artefacts ranging from shipwreck salvage to photos of famous St Ives artists and a replica of a Cornish kitchen.
reviewed
-
D
St Ives Society of Artists
The St Ives Society of Artists - one of Cornwall's oldest and most influential artists' collectives, founded in 1929 - still has its gallery in a converted church on Norway Sq, with a separate 'Mariners Gallery' in the former crypt.
reviewed
-
Porthgwidden
Near the museum, tucked under the grassy headland known under The Island, is the little cove of Porthgwidden, a pleasant picnic spot and a handy paddling spot for the little 'uns.
reviewed
-
E
Chapel of St Nicholas
On the promontory is the pre-14th-century Chapel of St Nicholas, patron saint of children and sailors, and the oldest (and certainly smallest) church in St Ives.
reviewed
-
Porthmeor
Below the Tate is Porthmeor, top choice for swimmers and novice surfers thanks to its gentle swells, and with a handy beach café just below the Tate.
reviewed
-
Porthminster
With an attractive arc of soft golden sand that's usually sheltered from the wind by the cliffs, this beach inevitably gets busy on warm days.
reviewed
-
-
Leach Pottery
The renowned potter Bernard Leach established his studio in upper St Ives in 1920, having spent several years studying and working in the Far East. Leach went on to develop an influential fusion of Eastern and Western ceramics based on his lifelong fascination with oriental arts, and his studio showcases many examples of his work. A recent restoration project has also added a new potter's workshop and an interesting museum exploring Leach's legacy. The gallery is about a mile uphill or 15 minutes' walk from the town centre along Higher Stennack.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Beaches
The largest town beaches are Porthmeor and Porthminster, but the tiny cove of Porthgwidden is also popular. Nearby, on a tiny peninsula of land known locally as the Island, sits the pre-14th–century Chapel of St Nicholas. Carbis Bay, to the southeast, is popular with families and sun seekers.
On the opposite side of the bay from St Ives, the receding tide reveals over 3 miles of golden beach at Gwithian and Godrevy Towans, both popular spots for kiteboarders and surfers. The lighthouse just offshore at Godrevy was the inspiration for Virginia Woolf's classic stream-of-consciousness novel To the Lighthouse.
Gwithian boasts some of the best beach breaks in Cornwall. The Gwi…
reviewed
-
F
Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden
Barbara Hepworth (1903–75) was one of the leading abstract sculptors of the 20th century, and a key figure in the St Ives art scene; fittingly, her former studio has been transformed into a moving archive and museum. The studio itself has remained almost untouched since her death in a fire, and the adjoining garden contains some of her most famous sculptures. A joint ticket for Tate St Ives can be purchased for adult/child £8.75/4.50. Hepworth's work is scattered throughout St Ives; look for her sculptures outside the Guildhall and inside the 15th-century parish church of St Ia.
reviewed
