Destination articles

St Ives, Cornwall

lubowitz

Cornwall

To be clear, I'm not actually staying with an artist while I'm in St. Ives; rather, I'm renting Guillemot Cottage, which was once owned by Sir Terry Frost (1915–2003), a well-known artist. But I seriously doubt he was as comfortable back then.

Frost arrived for the constantly shifting light, just as Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson, and his abstract use of color and shape helped launch a new art movement in England, the St Ives School.

Today, I like to speculate that our top-floor attic bedroom, which has four enormous windows on three sides, two skylights, and a vaulted ceiling, was once his studio. Few bedrooms have all of these features. You can feel the vitality of the region up here, only a crab's throw from the quay, and how it inspired the artists that congregated here in the 1940s to 1960s. In fact, there were so many visitors that the railroad frequently had to add a second carriage for the London to St. Ives run.

Bay St Ives

St. Ives continues to draw painters because of its exceptional light. Particularly now as the season slowly transitions into October, cloud and rain are continuously alternating with clear, blue skies and warm sunshine.

This is the ideal place for a quick break. The beaches' golden sands are now free of sunbathers, and most eateries have seats available. The Downlong's narrow alleys, where old cottages like ours nestle together for comfort, must still appear much as they were hundreds of years ago.

After dark, St Ives is even more quaint, with the pubs feeling cozier and especially welcoming after a short stroll from your cottage and the taste of salt spray on your tongue has made you thirsty.

After that, it's nice to stumble a little bit back to your cozy home, the waves smashing imperceptibly close in the night, and the occasional shadow of a late-night seagull flying across the sky. You've probably met new people that you won't see again.

all across the town
The following morning, when the sky are clear, a strong urge for a substantial meal arises. You could make your own using materials from your welcome basket and some delectable bread from the neighborhood shops, but it's preferable to stroll across the street away from the harbor to a "hidden" tiny beach.

The Porthgwidden Beach Cafe is located here. You can marvel at the daring swimmers enjoying their daily dive in the surf just a few meters away from the restaurant while safe inside its glass walls and eating a huge kipper. Lunch is also excellent here.

After, St. Ives is definitely worth exploring. The cobblestone streets are home to a variety of stores, almost all of which are dog-friendly. Some of the stores are cheerily twee and classic, while others are outposts of fashionable seaside brands like Seasalt, Superdry, and Crew.

In Johns, you may choose from a wide variety of Cornish ales, beers, spirits, mead, and wines. Additionally, every alley is lined with little artist shops that sell ceramics and paintings. Pasties are also temptingly available everywhere.

A background in fishing and painting

Pilchard fishing made St. Ives prosperous before the arts and tourists. Up until the fish stocks ran out, a large number of men, boys, and women were engaged to capture fish, process it, and ship it to London in barrels during the period between 1750 and 1880.

In the charmingly dilapidated St Ives' Museum, you may discover wonderful antique photo records of the pilchard business in St Ives as well as the terrifying history of shipwrecks. Or, naughtily, you can save some money by perusing all the pictures in the Union Bar, a fantastic bar that we frequented frequently.

Of course, there is the Tate St. Ives gallery, which has a magnificent view of the bay and hosts exhibitions by the contemporary St. Ives School of Painters as well as a variety of modern and contemporary works by British and foreign artists.

The Barbara Hepworth Museum, located in her former house and garden, is practically next door. The Penwith Gallery and Porthminster Gallery, both of which are built in former pilchard presses, are also highly recommended. The Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens and Gallery are nearby St Ives, but make sure to check before going because the gardens close on days with severe winds.

Dine outside in St. Ives

When dining out, there are countless restaurants and bars to choose from. The best place to find seafood with an Asian flavor is at Porthminster Beach, which is located beneath the steep slopes of Porthminster Point and offers views of St. Ives Bay and Godrevy Lighthouse (made famous by Virginia Wolff).

One of the oldest and most romantic restaurants in St. Ives is The Mermaid Seafood Restaurant, which is tucked away along a side street. Utilizing very fresh seafood, the Lemon Sole, Seabass, and Gurnard dish here keeps things simple to let the fish take center stage. For superior food with a cookie clicker price to match, also check out Restaurant One Fish Street, which is where it claims it is.