St Agnes
BryanickThe Beacon
Located on Cornwall’s north coast, St Agnes (or Aggie as it’s affectionately known) is in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Newquay, and is a popular spot for tourists who enjoy the rugged landscape and sheltered beach.
Coast & Country
St. Agnes is a picturesque village on the north coast of Cornwall. Steeped in mining history, the village still retains a traditional friendly Cornish atmosphere and makes a wonderful base for your holiday, with four different beaches and an ideal location for touring the rest of Cornwall. There are dramatic coastal walks and breathtaking scenery filled with relics from the past as well as friendly hotels serving good food in a warm atmosphere.
History
The stone-age remains in the parish and the industrial and geological heritage show its fascinating history, including the instantly recognisable remains of the tin mines that are silhouetted against the horizon and now part of Cornwall’s Mining World Heritage area. St Agnes featured heavily in Winston Graham’s original Poldark series of novels, and has been used in the filming of the popular TV series too.
Surfing
St Agnes in North Cornwall is a fairly exposed beach break that has quite reliable surf, although summer tends to be mostly flat. The best wind direction is from the southwest with some shelter here from southwest winds. Waves just as likely from local windswells as from distant groundswells and the ideal swell angle is from the west southwest. Best around mid tide.
St Agnes is said to have got its name from the local legend of Bolster the giant. Bolster was a mighty giant who terrified the villagers and ate small children, but he fell in love with a beautiful young woman called Agnes and wanted to marry her. Seeing a way to free the parish from his tyranny, Agnes asked Bolster to prove his love for her by filling a hole in the rocks by Chapel Porth with his blood. What he didn’t realise was that the hole ran right down through the cliffs and opened into the sea, and in that way Bolster was tricked, and he died on the cliffs. St Agnes was hailed a heroine, and in time the village took her name.
Plan your trip
Everything you need to know to plan your perfect trip to St Agnes
The M4, M5 and M6 motorways have made travel to Cornwall simple and straightforward, while within Cornwall itself, the A30 and A38 continue to improve with fast dual carriageways. Follow the M5 to Exeter, and join the A30 to Three Burrows roundabout. Turn onto the B3277 and follow signs to St agnes. Wheal leisure car park offers long stay car parking.
National Express serves Cornwall from destinations throughout the UK. Connecting services to Cornwall are available from Bristol, Birmingham and London. The closest mainline stop is at Redruth, where you can pick up local connections to St Agnes.
Great Western Railways operate high speed services from London Paddington, South Wales and the Cotswolds to Cornwall, including sleeper services from London Paddington. Cross Country Trains (Arriva Trains) operate services into Cornwall from the Midlands, the North and Scotland. Redruth is the nearest mainline train station where local bus connections can be picked up for St Agnes.
Trevaunance Cove is St Agnes’ main beach, with two car parks less than a minute’s walk away and excellent local facilities. St Agnes is a well-known surf spot and can get crowded on good days. Board and wetsuit hire and surf lessons are available. Dogs are allowed all year.
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