The Local Area
St Austell is the largest population centre in Cornwall, and is a vibrant old market town which has been undergoing many changes in the past few years. A rather nondescript and lack lustre 1960s town centre has been demolished, and we are now in the final stages of the rebuild of its replacement. When this is finished, St Austell will again return to being the attractive, popular town it once was, with the new buildings settling in happily alongside historic Fore Street and the ancient Holy Trinity Parish Church. Our brand new White River Cinema is already open, and Christmas 2009 saw the opening of many of the new shops.
St Austell's wealth came from mining: tin and copper in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and more recently, china clay. The China Clay Country Park nestling in 26 acres of woodland in the historic Ruddle Valley, is only two miles up the road from us and provides a fascinating insight into the history of the area.
St Austell Bay
The historic, Georgian port of Charlestown, is only a couple of miles from the town centre of St Austell. It has frequently been used as a film set, and is the home of several tall ships, which can often be seen in the inner harbour.
There is also an interesting Shipwreck Museum, gallery and craft shop, as well as good restaurants and pubs.
Mevagissey (6 miles) and Fowey (8 miles) are at either end of St Austell Bay, and in the summer season, are linked by a ferry across the Bay. Mevagissey is a working Cornish fishing village, and Fowey is a beautiful old town at the mouth of the river Fowey. Both have great restaurants specialising in locally caught fish and other Cornish produce.
Historic St Austell
St Austell Brewery is a name seen throughout the county. It now makes a range of beers which are becoming widely available. There is a visitor centre and regular tours of the brewery with the chance to tast the popular "Tribute" ale among others.
Eating Out
There is a good choice of restaurants and pubs serving food in St Austell and district - several within 5 minutes walk of Bankside such as The White Hart, Watermargin, and Frankie and Benny's.
A couple of miles away at Charlestown, there is the Pier House Hotel, Wreckers and The Rashleigh Arms, with the 2 Rosette Michelin restaurant Austells at Carlyon Bay just 2.5 miles away.
Mevagissey and Fowey each have a wide choice of restaurants, and there are village pubs such as the Hewas Inn at Sticker, just 3 miles inland from here, which is very popular with both the locals and visitors.
Many restaurants feature the best of local produce such as freshly caught fish and sea food, local farm and dairy produce. We will be happy to share the up-to-the-minute recommendations with you amd nake reservations.