St Austell

St Austell itself is a meeting of old and new Cornwall, of ancient narrow streets to now smart pedestrian precincts and fine shops, including a lot of high street brands. The parish church is still the glory of St Austell, with its beautifully-carved tower of Pentewan stone. Close by Charlestown has a Georgian harbour that maybe recognised from several film and television programmes. A fleet of tall ships currently reside in the harbour.

St Austell Bay and Charlestown have their own beaches, offering outstanding cliff and coastal scenery. Sand and pebble beaches with lifeguard cover and no dog restrictions that are ideal for all the family. Also close by is Par Beach which is a large sheltered beach bordered by sand dunes and a brackish lagoon where many species of birds have made it their home.

There is a variety of things to see and do around St Austell. At Charlestown you can visit the Shipwreck and Heritage Centre and board a tour of the magnificent square rigger tall ships and dip into the history of the cobbled harbour. Located in a historic china clay building it charts a fascinating 200-year history of fishing, wrecking and mining. It houses the largest exhibition of artefacts recovered by divers. Walk through underground tunnels where clay trucks were pushed out to the ships in the port.

Surrounding St Austell and its neighbouring villages is a landscape renowned for its clay tips and pits created by years of mining industry. The striking and dramatic scenery has been made more accessible by the development of trails for walking, cycling and horse riding. Known as The Clay Trails of St Austell, they were first opened in March 2005 and new trails are being added enabling visitors to enjoy this unique area of Cornwall.

The Eden Project is a global garden for the 21st Century, a gateway to a sustainable future and a dramatic setting in which to tell the fascinating story of mankind’s dependence on plants.

Visit the St Austell Brewery and Visitor centre and take the tour that gives you an insight into brewing and methods have hardly changed in 140 years. A fully licensed gift shop stocks the full range of beers and spirits produced by the brewery.

There is a choice of 3 superb golf courses nearby at St Austell, Carlyon Bay or Portpean.

St Austell boasts an extensive range of fast food restaurants, three bakeries, kebab shop, and several pubs that serve meals. The town also has four Chinese take-aways, two fish and chip shops, and one Indian take-away, and a Tengo cafe bar.