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UK travel

Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

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Original poster

Just booked a holiday in St Ives, Cornwall for a week in August - never been before.........

22 replies

tiswas · 07/07/2006 08:33

Hi everyone,
I've just booked a weeks holiday in August for me, dh & dd 3.4 in August in St Ives, Cornwall. Never been there before, it looks lovely - just after any advice on best beaches around there, (preferably the quieter ones although being school holidays they will all be manic no doubt!)
Also best places to go, attractions, eating out etc with a 3 year old. It would be great to hear from anyone who goes regularly. Also, Dh is mad on fishing, dd loves going crabbing with her crab line, need a spot where he can fish and I can go crabbing with DD, preferably a harbour that its too busy!

thanks X

OP posts:

Original poster

tiswas · 07/07/2006 08:44

That should read ' a harbour thats not too busy '

OP posts:

Original poster

tiswas · 07/07/2006 21:03

Anyone?

OP posts:

galaxy · 07/07/2006 21:05

No idea about St Ives but didn't want you to feel you were being ignored. I think if you Googel "St Ibes" you'll get someideas. Cornwall is great for kids anyway - enjoy your hols

marthamoo · 07/07/2006 21:06

St.Ives is lovely - loads to do, nice beaches on your doorstep and the Tate of course. Are you staying in St.Ives itself? If so, I hope you have a designated parking space or you're in for Park and Ride every day...

I'm envious - was in Cornwall at half term and haven't stopped wishing we were back there since we got home!

galaxy · 07/07/2006 21:06

That'll be "Google St. Ives" of course.

hulababy · 07/07/2006 21:07

Oooh, I used to go to St Ives when I was little. Not been for years and years but have many a happy memory of holidaying there. We used to go down on the overnight sleeper train. It was always hot and sunny. Used to be quiet, relaxed and very pretty. We used to do a little walk along the coast line to a place nearby 0 mouse something or other I think.

marthamoo · 07/07/2006 21:09

this thread may help I've never stayed in St Ives but I've been there so many times - it is a lovely place.

marthamoo · 07/07/2006 21:09

It's not quiet any more, hula - it's heaving in high season - but you don't have to venture far afield to find quieter places.

HelloMama · 07/07/2006 21:12

St Ives is lovely and there are quite a few wonderful beaches. There is the very surfy one in front of the Tate gallery which you may find a bit busy with a little one, but there is another beach round the other side, don't know what it is called but I will try and find out. That one is miles long, golden sand and very shallow waters, very family friendly. If you get bored of eating pasties, try out the Ocean Grill restaurant which is amazing for seafood (book as it gets v busy). Child friendly, even late at night, although I don't think they have a childrens menu, we just give DS a bit of whatever we're eating! You will find lots of men touting for fishing trips down by the main harbour, so your DH shouldn't find it too difficult to get away for a bit! I wouldn't bother too much with the TAte unless you really LOVE art, we got free entry (otherwise about £8.00 an adult) and we were there for about 15 minutes in total and the other visitors didn't seem to like DS charging around. However the Barbara Hepworth garden is lovely and definitely worth checking out and your DD will love looking at the fish and touching all the sculptures!

Original poster

tiswas · 07/07/2006 21:13

Thanks everyone, was starting to feel a bit of a billy no mates! We're staying at ST Ives Bay just down from the main bit, holiday park right by the beach.

OP posts:

JanH · 07/07/2006 21:17

If you drive into St Ives, be careful of little tiny streets; DH managed to scrape our car doing a multi-point turn when he got in further than intended

The beaches are lovely, and the little streets are great too when you're on foot.

moyasmum · 07/07/2006 21:41

Theres a lovely veggie hotel/cafe overlooking one of the beaches (sorry can't remember which one). Its called coast, lovely owners ,very arty and not too expensive.

lexiemum · 07/07/2006 21:50

I stayed at St Ives Bay when I was 18 - it was our first holiday away from the parents. me and sister and two other friends went. Had a great time except for the gail winds that swept through the campsite and broke the tent poles! ended up spending all our spending money renting a chalet so we didn't have to return to the parents defeated!

can't remember much really other than getting very drunk in the club house one night and ended up in A&E the following morning as misjudged a wall, jumped over and badly twisted ankle.

MaryBS · 10/07/2006 16:14

We're staying there in August too!!!! It'll be our first time there too. We're going 19-26 August.

ScoobyDooooo · 10/07/2006 16:17

We stayed at st ives bay we loved it, it was fantastic & the site os very clean & right on the beach. was not overly keen on the food though.

there is a lovely beach on the way to st ives village can not remmeber what it was called..

st ives itself is a nice place to walk round & the harbour is gorgeous.

heiferjamese · 10/07/2006 21:34

BEWARE OF THE SEAGULLS. DEADLY...

St Ives is a lovely place. we stayed there again last summer. But please remember DO NOT EAT ANY FOOD ON THE BEACH IN ST IVES. The birds will attack (and in numbers)..

We saw several children (and adults) being attacked by up to 10 birds (usually 1 attacks to grab food then the rest attack that bird).. can be very scary.. Especially when saw one bloke actually thrown his cornish pasty away from birds, but actually throw it towards his young son who was understandably hysterical.

Don't let it put you off though, lovely place. just don't eat on the beach.....

Loads of nice restaurants on the sea front (inside of course).. and lots of nice quaint shops to look around.

Didn't venture out much, st ives for nice enough to stay local.

TinyGang · 10/07/2006 21:44

It's lovely

Agree about the seagulls they're really aggressive if you have food outside. The streets are very narrow - pushchair-ing can be tricky.

winnie · 10/07/2006 21:54

St Ives is fab. I am there in August too. Love Cornwall. It sounds as if you are on a site where there is a great beach and I second all that has been said about St Ives, art, walking instead of driving and the bl**dy seagulls!

I don't tend to think about age of child and my children get dragged everywhere.

Barbara Hepworth museum and garden is worth a visit if you are into gardens or art.

It's also relatively easy to get to Eden Project & Lost Gardens of Heligan from St Ives.

Cornwall is in my experience generally a very child friendly place however I think August is going to be mad just because of sheer numbers.

Enjoy your hols

joelallie · 11/07/2006 14:28

Beautiful place.

Agree about driving there - very narrow streets and best to go everywhere on foot. There's a large car park near the top of the town.

We loved the Tate - the building itself and the views are perfect. We went to see an Anthony Gormely exhibition and our 5 and3 yr old were fasicnated. Depends on what is showing.

Seagulls are a pain and the advice about not eating on the beach is sensible. When we were there last one bloke got so upset about it he actually had a paddy and stamped his feet like a toddler - nearly fell off the quay laughing at him!!!

Carbis Bay - towards Hayle is a lovely beach. Quite quiet and long.

The drive from St Ives towards Lands End is lovely. There's a tin mine there (not working) that you can visit - I think it's Pendeen.

Just beautiful really. We're going to be staying down near Lands End in August. Might take a trip to St Ives. Can't wait.

The railway line into St Ives is good too.

Dior · 11/07/2006 14:31

Message withdrawn

Surfermum · 11/07/2006 14:38

I wouldn't recommend visiting the tin mine at Pendeen. It was one of the lowlights of our honeymoon!

Bozza · 11/07/2006 15:02

St Ives is lovely but will be mad packed busy. We have stayed in the town and also out of the town but caught the park and ride in which is great because lovely train line along the sea front and a treat for the kids too. If the St Ives beaches are too busy try going around the bay to Godrevy where there are big open beaches and a rocky headland.

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