ST IVES

St Ives is as pretty as a picture. Its tangle of ancient alleys opens out to reveal a harbour whose clear, lagoon-like waters mix shades of blue that you’ll find in no artist’s palette – though countless artists have tried to recreate it over the years.

Many painters set up their easels on ‘The Island’ – actually a headland, dividing the Porthmeor area to the north-west from Porthminster to the east and south – which has spectacular views of the town and harbour. The little Chapel of St Nicholas here was once used as a place of worship for sailors, and later by customs officers to look out for smugglers along the coast. Far below, the harbour bobs with colourful fishing boats.

Even though this scenic fishing village has drawn artists since the start of the 19th century, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that St Ives became the centre of an art movement: the St Ives School.

The artists that really put St Ives on the map were Ben Nicholson and his then wife, the sculptor Dame Barbara Hepworth, who

Artists have long been drawn to this breathtaking harbour town in West Cornwall

WORDS NATASHA FOGES

settled with their children in the area at the outbreak of war in 1939. Hepworth’s distinctive sculptures in bronze, stone and wood are still on display in the jungly, flower-filled garden where the sculptor herself placed them, now the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. Her studio, where she worked until her death in 1975, has been atmospherically preserved, with her overalls, tools and

Above: The view over St Ives’ picturesque harbour towards ‘The Island’ Next page, from left: St Michael’s Mount; Tate St Ives; the town’s pretty cobbled streets have attracted artists since the 19th century plaster casts just as she left them.

You could spend a leisurely afternoon weaving through St Ives’ network of ancient lanes, known as the ‘Down-a-long’. The curious street names here (Mount Zion, Chy-An-Chy, Wheal Dream) might have you wondering as to their origins, while rows of quaint cottages and courtyards vibrant with flowers conjure an almost Mediterranean feel. Among the shops and bakeries wafting the irresistible scent of Cornish pasties are numerous artists’ studios and galleries. The two-week St Ives September Festival – a celebration of the Arts and music – sees open studios, painting workshops and more.

The art trail continues at Tate St Ives. This world-renowned gallery, set in a former gasworks overlooking the Atlantic, makes the most of the special quality of light for which the town is famous. Vast windows and curved walls frame the glorious sea views, vying for your attention with the impressive collection of modern European art, with works by Matisse, Rothko and Picasso.

Conclude your art tour with a visit to the century-old Leach Pottery on the edge of town, often considered the home of British studio pottery. Established by the potter Bernard Leach, it’s now dedicated to his work, as well as being a working studio that trains the next generation of St Ives studio potters. You can even book a taster session on the potter’s wheel.

If St Ives has inspired you to pick up a paintbrush, there are more luminous skies and shifting seascapes to be found in the surrounding area, as well as some intriguing myths and legends.

A 10-minute drive away is the mining village of Zennor, in a landscape that’s scattered with mysterious prehistoric sites. The village is famous for the medieval carving of a mermaid holding a comb and looking glass inside the 12th-century church of St Senara. As legend has it, a local man named Matthew Trewella had a beautiful singing voice and always sang the closing hymn in church services. His voice carried to a nearby cove, where a mermaid was entranced by it and lured Matthew to the sea, never to be seen again. The mermaid motif also appears on the bronze dial on the church’s clock tower, with an inscription dated 1737.

A 20-minute drive south is magical St Michael’s Mount, a castle-crowned island that’s connected to the town of Marazion at low tide by a cobbled causeway in the summer months (in winter access is by boat only). Originally a Benedictine monastery, it has also been a castle and a prison at different points in its history. St Michael’s has been the home of the St Aubyn family since the mid-17th century, though the abbey is run by the National Trust.

Ghostly tales and legends swirl around this ancient site, from the giant Cormoran who is said to have built the mount (and was finally slain by a local boy) to the spectral Lady in Grey, who is believed to have been the nanny of the St Aubyn family in the 1750s.

The Mount was famously painted by Turner, during a tour of Cornwall that is thought to have influenced the artist’s later experiments with colour and light. “I have never seen so many natural beauties in such a limited spot as I have seen here,” he wrote. In broad brushstrokes, it’s what still draws so many artists to this bewitching part of Cornwall to this day.

 For more on what to see and do in Cornwall, see www.britain-magazine.com

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

GETTING THERE Trains from London Paddington to St Ives take around 6 hours; or there’s an overnight sleeper service. Newquay Airport, with flights from Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh, is a 50-min drive from St Ives. www.gwr.com; cornwallairportnewquay.com

WHERE TO STAY The Pedn Olva, perched on granite rocks above the sparkling waters of St Ives Bay, is a lovely place to stay. The simple but stylishly decorated rooms enjoy wonderful sea views, and there’s a convivial bar and restaurant to enjoy, as well as an outdoor heated pool. pednolva.co.uk

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Tables at the Porthminster Beach Café are highly sought after for the sea views and delicious freshly grilled lobster. Tucked away in the old fishing quarter, The Mermaid also has a tempting array of seafood, served up amid an atmospheric jumble of nautical decor. www.porthminstercafe.co.uk; www.mermaidstives.co.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION www.stives-cornwall.co.uk