Porthtowan

Approximately 1 mile away; turn left down the hill and cross over the coast road.

Porthtowan has one of the larger beaches in the area, and the only one with Blue Flag status. The dunes bordering the beach give the village its name - "Porth" means beach or cove in Cornish and "Towan" means sand dunes.

This village has been a popular resort since Edwardian times, both for families and for keen surfers. Porthtowan is a popular surfing and kiting beach, and is the venue for several surfing championships. For the novice there are surfing lessons running during the spring & summer.

Mount Hawke

Approximately 1 mile away; turn right then left up the hill, and left at the crossroads.

Mt Hawke is named after the local Hawke family who were ropemakers (Ropewalk is the name of the lane next to the Post Office), and expanded as a result of local copper mining workings. Between Mt Hawke and Porthtowan an extensive copper working area was evident until recent years. Navvy Pit, as it was known locally, formed part of Wheal Music, the largest open cast copper mine in Europe.

The church is dedicated to St John the Baptist and is of relatively modern construction being erected in 1878. The font is believed to be Norman, removed from Trevaunance Manor chapel at St Agnes.

Mount Hawke also has a park called the "Millennium Green", which has a jungle gym, slides and swings and is perfect for parents to bring their children.

Mount Hawke is known locally as the "Golden Triangle", which consists of Mount Hawke, St. Agnes and Porthtowan, and has stunning views across to St Agnes Beacon and the sea.

St Agnes

Approximately 3 miles; turn right then left up the hill, and left at the second crossroads. Alternatively follow the coast road eastwards.

St. Agnes is a larger, but still picturesque, village, known by its old name as "St Annes" through the Poldark novels. Situated beside St Agnes Beacon (629 ft), now owned by the National Trust, St. Agnes is steeped in mining history and still retains a traditional friendly Cornish atmosphere. Several attempts were made since the early 1700s to build a harbour at St Agnes to serve the tin trade and the pilchard industry, but the last successful effort in 1798 succumbed to the storms of 1915/16.

There is a wide choice of shops, including a chemist, Barclays Bank and the Post Office, as well as craft shops, galleries and workshops where you will find beautiful gifts hand-made by local artists. So far St Agnes has managed to avoid that 'sameness' created by the incursion of larger chain stores.

The art and craft shops surrounding the beach at Trevaunance Cove are a few hundred yards away from the main shopping area.

There are several pubs, cafes and restaurants, as well as a fish-and-chip shop.

"The area is so delightful that we've hardly wanted to go any further."
Teresa & George, Rugby.