A Day of Rest in St. Ives

August 19, 2025 From the itinerary - NOTHING PLANNED

Distance: 3.5 miles Weather: overcast and threatened rain, but didn't materialize. In the 70s, breezy.

Didn't get out of bed until after 8am, which was wonderfully lazy!

Breakfast looked very lonely on the plate until I added a croissant.

Did laundry in a very chaotic laundromat

coming back to the hotel to drop off the laundry I was inundated by people leaving the train - I felt like a salmon heading up stream.

Went to explore the very crowded town which was rather awful do to the crowds and traffic

Then off to explore St. Ives Head, so save distance tomorrow. Was a nice walk, first to the harbour and St. Leonard's Chapel - the traditional fisherman's chapel on the harbor. It was very simple inside, but had some interesting artifacts. I decided against the St. Ives Museum because they wanted £5 and I couldn't imagine what they would have that would be worth that.

Along the way to St. Ives Head I saw some successful crabbing and some not-so-successful

Then to St. Ives Head to see the St. Nicholas Chapel, gun emplacements and coast watch. I also saw the remains of the trash shute used when St. Ives used to dump all their rubbish into the sea. Traditionally/historically, the St. Ives Head area was used as a look out for Napoleon's troops, as a fort, for grazing of livestock, drying laundry, trash heap, parking, fair ground area, etc. Now it is used for recreation.

St. Ives is known for it's beaches and "art". The return trip took me through little lanes, uphill towards the Tate St. Ives museum - which I didn't go it. I was sucked into spending £10 to see the studio and sculpture garden of Barbara Hepworth, who looked very familiar. I wasn't very enthralled with her work and the garden not interesting, so no photos

I finally ended up at the St. Ives Parish Church, built in 1410.

Dinner was at the Portminster Restaurant on the beach. I reserved and specifically asked for a table by the window. I was told they were apportioned by when the reservations were made - if you booked early, you got one. When I arrived I was offered one - in front of an open door. I asked if the door could be shut and was told no, but I could sit on the patio, but that wouldn't be much different because it was also in the open air. Meanwhile someone (the boss?) was closing the window and I was shown to the table. The other idiot made himself scarce quickly while I was walking to the table. Dinner was very tasty, if expensive: burrata gazpacho, salad (for buni), tuna and lemon tart. They had a discretionary 12% tip on the menu which I put down to 10% because of my reception.

After dinner I walked down to the beach and put my feet in the cold water.