St. Ives is a beautiful and quaint seaside town in the county of Cornwall. It lies to the north of Penzance on the coast of the Celtic sea.
Access: It is five and a half hours by train from London’s Paddington station
Founded: 5th Century
Town population: Approximately 12,000
County: Cornwall
Cities and towns nearby: Penzance, Land’s end
Average temperature in January: 9 degrees centigrade
Average temperature in July: 20 degrees centigrade
History
In medieval times, St Ives was a busy fishing port. However, in 1877 the Great Western Railway came to St Ives and with it came the Victorian seaside holidaymakers. The railway is a lovely tourist attraction. It winds along the cliffs and bays next to the sea. Most of the town was built in the 19th century.
In 1920, Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada set up Leach Pottery in St Ives. Bernard Leach is known as the “Father of British studio pottery”. He learned pottery from Shigekichi Urano in Japan.
Sightseeing
St Ives is quite far from London, but it is a great place to visit when you are in the UK. It has a beautiful harbour and a great art scene. There are many waterfront attractions and restaurants. It is a good place to relax. You can walk on lovely sandy beaches and enjoy the great atmosphere.
There are three festivals in St Ives: the Knill ceremony, St Ives feast and St Ives May Day.
Here are some more pictures of beautiful St. Ives. Click on them to make them bigger!
