Things to do when staying in St Ives, Cornwall
Beach activities for sure but as mentioned, as an attraction, the flagship Cornwall Tate Gallery St Ives, opened in 1993 offers the visitor a quite unique opportunity to see works of art in the actual surroundings many were created in. Or you make care to take the dog for a leisurely stroll along some of the miles of coastal footpath. And once you get there, you may care to return on the local train that gives a quite spectacular, cliff-edge hugging journey on a tract that is a testament to the incredible Victorian engineering of over a century ago.
As it has done for many hundreds of years, town life centres around the harbour. The fishing boats still moor there as they always have done, with their world-renown catches despatched all over the world to some of the best restaurants. And from the harbour, a maze of narrow cobbled streets, many with the original fishermen’s cottages from many years past, lead into the old part of the town. These streets come alive with ‘Britain in Bloom’ winning floral displays during the summer months.
During the day, there’s plenty of shopping opportunity, whether for gifts, locally-made products or ingredients for your meal. Or, if you prefer, St Ives is surprisingly cosmopolitan and in the evenings there is a great range of cafés, restaurants and bars to choose from to suit every taste and every pocket. Also part of the Tate Gallery and worth a mentioning is the Barbara Hepworth Museum that originally opened in 1976 and run by the Tate since 1980. This is a lasting memorial to the great sculptress and an extraordinary insight into the work of one of Britain's most important twentieth century artists who lived and worked in St. Ives.
Her workshop has been carefully preserved and visitors will see many examples of her work in the gardens and house. Some of her finest pieces in bronze, stone and wood together with drawings and paintings are on permanent display here.
Dolphins and wildlife can be seen form along the coastal paths and Carbis Bay with blue water and golden beaches is a favorite for a bucket and spade holiday in Cornwall..