There is something magical about St Ives. I remember my first visit years ago. As I walked down to the bay, I gasped in amazement at the storybook scene ahead. Turquoise surf and yellow sands, only glimpsed before in fictional seaside illustrations.
It was the same a few days ago. Even on a watery, windswept day, the landscape’s colours, adorned with summer flowers, were striking and uplifting. No wonder artists flock to the town for the clarity and luminosity.
I was there last year, spending many hours on Porthmeor Beach and the Tate Gallery with Mr Word Loft. So exploring the harbour and vicinity seemed an excellent idea this time with dear friends who were staying with us. Mr Word Loft had to work, and I’m not sure shopping is his preferred leisure activity. There are plenty of independent dress shops in St Ives, by the way. We tried a few outfits on throughout the first part of the afternoon, followed by a wander along Smeaton’s Pier. As the structure’s name suggests, it was designed, and its construction supervised between 1767 and 1770 by the famous civil engineer, John Smeaton, also responsible for Plymouth’s Smeaton Tower. It is home to two charming little lighthouses, metres apart and very different in style due to the pier being extended at the end of the 19th century.
Heading back to the main thoroughfare, I noticed St Leonard’s, a small chapel that I hadn’t spotted before. A pottery-tiled plaque embedded in the stone wall commemorates a record-breaking passage by St Ives lugger, Lloyd SS, which sailed 600 miles in 50 hours, from Scarborough to St Ives in 1902. However, it is thought that the chapel dates back to the Medieval era and was likely frequented by fishermen before setting off to brave the waves. When it is open, passersby are welcome to take a look inside, where there is usually a small exhibition.
I was on a quest to find a summertime wreath for our front door and was delighted to come across a shell shop, the windows festooned with seashore paraphernalia and a St Piran’s flag fluttering above the doorway. A display of cockleshell heart-shaped wreaths beckoned me inside, and a chunky cream creation was just what I had imagined. It will look sensational in place once I’ve worked out how to suspend it; it’s rather heavy. But as the old saying goes. “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
Best wishes,
Sue. X
More links featuring St Ives:
An Arty Day at St Ives
Sculptor’s Haven
Special Day Out
From Teddy With Love