St Ives

St Ives (Cornish: Porth Ia) is a seaside town on the north coast of West Cornwall, near Penzance. In 2011 its population was 11,226.

This fishing village grew up into a seaside resort, and has long attracted artists. Today it's a huddle of cottages, small alleys, and craft and gift shops, climbing the slopes above Portminster harbour (facing east into the bay) and crossing the ridge to Portmeor beach (facing north into the Atlantic). These two coastlines meet at the headland called "The Island". South of the main town and railway station, St Ives straggles into Carbis Bay.

Understand
The Tourist Information Centre is on Street-an-Pol, TR26 2DS +44 1736 796297. It's open all year round and can help with accommodation.

By plane
Cornwall Newquay Airport has flights from London (Gatwick & Stansted), Dublin, Leeds, Bradford, Bristol, Manchester and Cardiff. It's about 30 miles (48 km) away from St Ives by A3075 and A30, reckon 45 min by car. Its two disadvantages are i) most flights are summer only; ii) public transport is tricky as first you have to get the bus into Newquay (last bus around 6:30PM), then rely on an infrequent bus or branch-line train for connections to St Ives.

Exeter Airport is further but may be a simpler option. It has more flights year-round, the airport bus runs until 10PM, and mainline trains run hourly from Exeter to Penzance, stopping at St Erth.

Land's End Airport, 6 miles (10 km) west of Penzance, only has flights to the Isles of Scilly.

By train
The nearest main line station is, 4 miles south of St Ives. Most trains from London and south-west England stop here on their way to Penzance, another 10 min down the line. From St Erth there are branch line trains, buses and taxis into St Ives.

There are direct trains to St Erth from London Paddington (8 daily, 5 hours), Exeter (8 daily, 3 hours) and Plymouth (15 daily, 2 hours). There are frequent connections to Bristol (4 hours), Birmingham (5 hours) and the north, with one direct service to Sheffield, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

An overnight sleeper train, The Night Riviera, runs between London Paddington and Penzance, stopping at St Erth. It runs Sunday to Friday from London Paddington around 11:30PM, reaching St Erth before 8AM (on Sunday before 9AM Monday). The return train leaves Penzance Su-F around 9:30PM, picking up at St Erth 10 min later, to reach London Paddington at 5AM; you can stay aboard until 7AM. Book via Great Western, with airline seats, or single or double sleeper cabins available.

Other nearby destinations along the main line, served by hourly trains from Plymouth, are Penzance (for Newlyn, Mousehole and Isles of Scilly), St Austell (for Eden Project), Par (for Newquay), and Bodmin. See National Rail for times and fares; advance booking is usually much cheaper. A Ride Cornwall Ranger is good value for local travel. It allows unlimited off-peak travel within Cornwall, and between Cornwall and Plymouth, by all trains and most buses. "Off-peak" means M-F after 9AM, and all day Sa Su & holidays. An adult day-ticket is £13, children and concessions around £10.

The branch line train from St Erth to St Ives shuttles back & forth every 30 min. The run takes only 12 min, halting at Lelant Saltings (for Park & Ride) and Carbis Bay (for southside accommodation). The first train is around 7AM and the last around 10PM - speak to the guard if your train is late and you're likely to miss a connection. is at the south end of town.

Another link is First Kernow bus A17, which runs every 30 min between St Ives and St Erth, taking 10-15 min. The first bus is around 7AM and the last at 6:30PM. West of St Erth, this bus continues to Penzance, Zennor, St Just (for Land's End Airport) and Boscaswell.

By coach
National Express coaches to Penzance stop at nearby St Erth. Coach NX404 runs overnight from London Victoria (8 hr) via Heathrow Airport, Bath, Bristol Airport, Exeter, Torquay and Plymouth. NX315 runs daily along the south coast from Eastbourne via Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton, Eastbourne, Exeter and Plymouth.

First Kernow bus T1 runs every 30 minutes between Penzance and Truro (1 hr 45 min), calling at St Erth, Hayle, Camborne, and Redruth. Change at Truro for Newquay, St Austell and Bodmin. Reaching Plymouth and Exeter by bus is not worth the bother, take the train.

By car
St Ives is a 5- to 6-hour drive from London via M4, M5, A30 and finally A3074. It's a long way and at some point you'll need to refuel. Don't be paying motorway prices, there's supermarket petrol at (amongst others) M5 jcn 28 (Cullompton Tesco), A30 Bodmin (Asda, Launceston Rd Bodmin) and A30 Penzance (Tesco). Parking options: Several car parks around town centre, (£3-5 per day), but they're small and those in the centre fill up very early in the day. Aim further out, eg at St Ives railway station. "The Island" car park on the headland near the leisure centre usually has spaces; it's a 10-minute walk from the harbour. Or Park and Ride at Lelant Saltings station and take the frequent train to town.

Don't attempt street parking, even with a disabled badge, unless you've checked this with the place you're visiting. The streets are so narrow and the few spaces are reserved for residents.

Get around
Walking is best for St Ives centre, where the streets are narrow and congested. Don't bring a car here, but driving makes sense for outlying accommodation and beaches at Carbis Bay, Lelant and Hayle.

For Penzance, bus A2 runs hourly via Lelant, St Erth and Marazion (for St Michael's Mount), 45 min, from 9AM to 10PM.

For Land's End, bus A3 runs hourly along the B3306 via St Just, Pendeen and Zennor. Or go to Penzance then take bus A1, which runs hourly via Newlyn, Lamorna and Porthcurno, one hour, from 7AM to 6PM.

These "A"-buses, operated by First Kernow, are blue open-top double-deckers in summer. For bus travel plus rail, a good deal is the Ride Cornwall Ranger (adult £13) described above. For bus only, buy a Day Rider for £12 (child £6) from the Bus Station or from the driver on boarding - contactless bank cards accepted. Bus drivers also issue Ride Cornwall Rangers, but only for full price, go to the station for concessions.

Beaches

 * Porthmeor Beach is on the north side of town facing the Atlantic. It's half a mile-long beach with firm sands and sometimes has some good waves for surfing.
 * Porthminster Beach is a sheltered, east-facing beach, more suitable for small children.
 * Carbis Bay two miles south of St Ives is a great sandy sweep of beach.

Calculate how many were going to St Ives
This nursery rhyme was first recorded in 1730, with nine of each entity. It's thought to be pure nonsense for the sake of a riddle, with (unusually for an 18th-century rhyme) no scurrilous or polygamous subtext, and to refer to St Ives in Cornwall though the town in Cambridgeshire is also plausible.

The point of the riddle is to draw the listener into a calculation which can stoutly be declared wrong, as there are several answers. A logical answer is "at least one", as only the speaker is definitely going to St Ives. If the full kit and caboodle are going there, the total is 2802. If the penultimate phrase is taken to exclude the speaker and the man, it's either 2800 or zero. The listener can't win, except by riposting that this is just the dummies' version of the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus Problem 79 of 1650 BC, with powers-of-seven houses, cats, mice, spelt and hekat, total 19,607.

Buy

 * Oodles of gift shops and a few convenience grocery stores, but the supermarket is Tesco in Carbis Bay, open M-Sa 8AM-8PM, Su 10AM-4PM.

Eat

 * Yallah is a good coffee shop by the harbour, open M-Sa 8AM-3:30PM, Su 9AM-3PM.

Drink
Usual selection of traditional pubs and wine bars.


 * St Ives School of Spirits put on classes in gin blending, and you get to take home a bottle of your own creation.
 * St Ives School of Spirits put on classes in gin blending, and you get to take home a bottle of your own creation.
 * St Ives School of Spirits put on classes in gin blending, and you get to take home a bottle of your own creation.

Sleep
Over 70 B&Bs and several nice little hotels in St Ives, more along the coast.

Stay safe
Traffic, traffic, traffic! Plus standard care of valuables, and safety in the water.

Connect
St Ives has patchy reception around town across most providers and your best bet is to connect (and stay connected) to the Wi-Fi that's available at most pubs and restaurants.

Go next
It's either west to Penzance, Land's End and Isles of Scilly (day-trips possible) or back east towards St Austell (for Eden Project), Plymouth and Exeter.