St Agnes is a picturesque and unspoilt village on the north coast of Cornwall which combines a traditional friendly Cornish atmosphere with a rich history in mining, fishing, schooner building, and harbour trading.
“Come here for great walks, breathtaking sunsets, dramatic mining remains and stunning beaches. St Agnes – not to be missed, and utterly timeless”
Cornish Mining WHS
Get inspired in seven steps
- Head to Chapel Porth, as beaches go it’s just about perfect
- Take in a sunset at St Agnes head or wander over to Cligga and watch the cliffs change colour from auburn golds to deep ochres and reds. See if you can see the blues of the copper veins showing up in the rocks.
- Surfing lessons with Tom on the beach just below our cottages, then warm up with cake and a coffee from Breakers
- Up the creek… with a paddle! Koru Kayaking can give you a completely new experience and view of Cornwall. Try their trip to the peaceful and gorgeous Frenchman’s Creek, setting of Daphne du Maurier’s swashbuckling 1940s novel.
- Take a dawn walk to the top of St Agnes Beacon, see the mist sitting in the valleys as the sun rises across the Cornwall and onto the ocean and beyond
- Visit St Agnes Museum – entry is free
- Cornwall Wildlife Trust does some great days out on the beach – leaders take both adults and children across the rock pools collecting all sorts of creatures great and small. They are amazingly patient and answer any questions you might have and willingly share their knowledge of the ocean shoreline. See forthcoming Cornwall Wildlife Trust events.
Around St Agnes village
St Agnes and the surrounding area have a beautiful scenic coastline and stunning beaches, part of the Heritage Coast. These provide superb coastal walks boasting spectacular views.
St Agnes is a thriving village that celebrates many events over the course of the year. Don’t miss Giant Bolster Day, which celebrates the legend of St Agnes; Victorian Fayre Day; St Agnes Carnival and Lifeboat Day.
Local crafts and arts are on display in the village craft shops, which include art galleries, gift shops, jewellers and potteries. The village has one butchers and two green grocers with local organic produce. Often the prices are better than the supermarkets, so it pays to shop local.
Little Feathers Gallery
Talented St Agnes-based silversmith with a lovely range of jewellery, including other unique arts and crafts from locally talented artists as well as those from further a field. Well worth a visit!
A different view, you can enjoy looking back at Trevaunance Cove and the stunning coastline when having a surf lesson with Tom from Breakers or kayaking with Koru’s North Coast Kayak Adventure. It doesn’t take long to see where Poldark’s author Winston Graham took his inspiration from.
Our guide to the local good stuff
St Agnes has a good selection of quality restaurants, with many specialising in fish and seafood. If you need a good coffee or delicious smoothie when shopping in the village you won’t be disappointed with those served at The Sorting Office. It dates back to 1902 and was the original sorting office for the village Post Office.
If you fancy seeing the sights of the village and beyond by bike, Coastal Cycle hire can deliver bikes to your holiday cottage. They offer a good range of electric, mountain, hybrid and children’s bikes.
The St Agnes bakery has been baking for the villagers since 1905, it serves fabulous bread and pasties, judging by their reviews the cream teas are looking a rather good option too!
If you fancy some seafood the ‘Shellfish beach deli’ might be your port of call serving locally caught fish and an outstanding crab sandwich.
If you fancy a takeaway The Cornish Pizza Company is a firm favourite with many guests and our local fish and chip shop Fission Chips is always busy, and for good reason!
As well as the beautiful beaches in St Agnes, you may enjoy a game of tennis or a spot of croquet. Both of these can be found at the same location and welcome visitors.
Trevaunance Cove
Trevaunance Cove is very popular with families. The sheltered beach offers a safe and beautiful setting to relax and swim in. For the more adventurous there is always plenty to explore with a labyrinth of caves, the ruins of the harbour, rock pools, the fisherman’s daily catch and the activities of the RNLI inshore lifeboat to keep you occupied. Food and drink are provided by Breakers, good quality takeaway style who also can make a mean coffee. They also provide surf lessons, great fun for all ages with an experienced and good surf instructor.
Walking up from the beach to the surf shop, you will come across Genki where refreshing smoothies, waffles, coffees and cakes are just a few of delicious delights on offer, a lovely little cafe that offers a range of homemade food, cakes and drinks, all set in lovely wooded valley. Happiness on a plate.
Chapel Porth beach
Chapel Porth beach is a spectacular National Trust beach. Low tide reveals over one and a half miles of beach and caves, a stunning backdrop of cliffs and old tin mine engine houses. Miners used to tell of how they could hear the Atlantic Ocean swells crashing down on the seafloor above them! You will be able to walk along the beach to neighbouring Porthtowan beach during low tides. The Chapel Porth café, famous for its Hedgehog ice creams and Croques, is definitely worth a visit.
The RNLI Lifeguard service operates on a daily basis on all beaches in the St Agnes area from the beginning of May to the end of September, 10am to 6pm.
Starry nights
St Agnes is on the dark skies map. Dark sky status means that St Agnes and Chapel Porth are now classed as some of the best star-gazing locations in the UK. Walk or drive to the small car park off Beacon Drive (SW 699513) or climb the Beacon for an awe-inspiring view of the night sky. Please wrap up sensibly if you’re out after dark.
St Agnes history
St Agnes boasts some of the most beautifully restored engine houses. During its heyday St Agnes was renowned for its high quality tin and copper, which was mined over a period of hundreds of years. Blue Hills Tin based at Trevellas is the only tin streaming works in production today in Cornwall.
The history of the local area can be found in Clive Benny’s excellent accounts of the history of Trevaunance Cove, the village and surrounding areas, available from St Agnes Museum.
Further afield in Cornwall
Other popular places to visit in Cornwall are the Eden Project, the Minack Theatre and the Tate Gallery. See Cornwall’s highlights for more details.