St Austell

Six miles west of Fowey, and the nearest town to the Eden Project (a living theatre of plants), St Austell is a bustling market town, which for many centuries had been at the centre of the local tin and copper quarrying and mining industries. It was a Quaker, William Cookworthy, who transformed this part of Cornwall. In 1746 he discovered huge reserves of high quality china clay in the area, at a time when Britain was having to import clay of a lesser quality from Europe. The discovery saw a dramatic change to St Austell and the surrounding landscape. Over the years, the waste material from the clay pits to the north and west of the town has been piled into great conical spoil heaps. These bare, bleached uplands have caused this area to be dubbed the Cornish Alps. More recently, steps have been taken to soften the countryside and the heaps and disused pits have been landscaped to re-create Cornish heathland. They now have gently undulating footpaths and nature trails.

Although the china clay industry has dominated St Austell, for more than 250 years, the town is also the home of another important local business - the St Austell Brewery, the main provider of ales in the county and still owned by the same family who established the brewery in 1851. The history of the company and an insight into the brewing process can be found at the informative St Austell Brewery Visitor Centre, from where visitors are also taken on a guided tour of the brewery that includes a sample of the traditional cask-conditioned ales.

The narrow streets of old St Austell create an atmosphere more befitting a market town than a busy mining and industrial community. The main thoroughfares all radiate from Holy Trinity Parish Church, an imposing building with a tall 15th century tower that has, inside, a curious Norman font that is carved with an assortment of grotesque human heads and mythical creatures. Elsewhere in the town there are some other notable older buildings including the 17th century Market House, a Quaker Meeting House built in 1829, and the White Hart Hotel, a former town house.

Meanwhile, just to the east of the town centre, among rhododendrons and beech trees, is Menacuddle Well. Another of Cornwall’s many holy wells, this particular source of curative water is housed in a small granite shrine. It was originally built in the 15th century, but restored by Sir Charles Graves Sawle in 1922. As well as curing a number of ailments, good luck could be had by throwing a crooked pin into its waters. Also on the eastern side of St Austell, Pinetum Park and Pine Lodge Gardens (open all year), has 30 acres of beautiful gardens featuring over 6,000 plants including many Mediterranean species lovingly created by Shirley and Ray Clemo.