Discover St Austell

The Lost Gardens of Heligan are one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK. The style of the gardens is typical of the nineteenth century Gardenesque style, with areas of different character and in different design styles.The gardens were created and enhanced by members of the Tremayne family, over a period from the mid-18th century up to the beginning of the 20th century, and today still form part of the family’s Heligan estate. The gardens stood neglected after the First World War and then restored in the 1990s.The gardens now boast a fabulous collection of rhododendrons and camellias, a series of lakes fed by a ram pump over a hundred years old, working flower and vegetable gardens, an Italian garden, and a stunning wild area called “The Jungle” filled with sub-tropical tree ferns. The gardens also have Europe’s only remaining pineapple pit, warmed by rotting manure, and two figures made from rocks and plants known as the Mud Maid and the Giant’s Head.The gardens surround the house with the northern part which includes the main ornamental and vegetable gardens, being slightly higher than the house and sloping gently down to it. The areas to the west, south and east of the house slope steeply down into a series of valleys and are much wilder, including The Jungle and The Lost Valley.The gardens include a gift shop, multiple options to eat and plant shop.

Vault beach, also known as Bow beach, a wide sand/shingle beach backed by heather covered cliffs. The cliffs at Dodmans Point rise to 110m. No facilities at Vault, nearest at Gorran Haven.

Par Sands is a sheltered sandy shallow dropping beach with sand dunes. Car park, shop, cafe and toilets. Dogs allowed.

Dodman Point is a 400-foot (120 m) high headland that was once an Iron Age promontory fort. At its seaward end is a large granite cross, erected to help protect shipping from this headland. It is mentioned in the shanty Spanish Ladies. Below the large stone cross, there is a way down to the bottom of the small cliffs and there is some climbing there on the faces. Mainly bouldering as it is rarely climbed and so there are no fixed anchor points.

Caerhays Castle was designed by John Nash at the start of the 19th century, there are the Gardens and parkland with the magnificent camellias and rhododendrons for which the estate is world famous and the National Magnolia Collection which has a home here.

The Eden Project just outside St Austell, Cornwall has artificial biomes filled with plants that are collected from all around the world, and is located in a reclaimed Kaolinite pit. The Eden Project two giant adjoining domes, the first dome emulates a tropical environment, and the second a Mediterranean environment. From the entrance there is a meandering path with views of the two biomes, planted landscapes, including vegetable gardens, and sculptures that include a giant bee and towering robot called RSA WEEE Man created from old electrical appliances. The project was conceived by Tim Smit and designed by architect Nicholas Grimshaw. The project took 2½ years to construct and the visitor centre, opened to the public in May 2000, with the full site opening on 17 March 2001. The domes are constructed from hundreds of hexagonal and pentagonal, plastic cells supported by steel frames.

Portmellon beach is in a small cove with a sand and shingle beach at low tide. Facilities include pub, slipway and pimited parking nearby, more car parks in Mevagissey (20 minute walk).

Spit beach is a small beach tucked in-between the China Clay Driers and the eastern end of Carlyon Bay Golf Course. No facilities.

Pentewan beach a large private sandy beach with a disused harbour. Although this beach is private access is allowed from Pentewan village, although the village car park is very small. Good for swimming and all water sports – swimming, surfing, windsurfing, sea canoeing, water skiing and sailing. Large holiday park on this beach which can make it busy. Toilets and small village car park.

Polstreath beach is fine sand and split in two by a stack, the smaller beach is known as Little Polstreath. The beach offers good swimming and a quieter alternative to Mevagissey around the corner. Hard to get to for the elderly and those with young children as the climb back up from the beach is quite steep. No facilities, nearest are in Mevagissey. We have no dog information for Polstreath beach.

Little Perhaver beach also known as Gorran Haven beach is a sandy beach on the most eastern point of the Roseland Peninsula, sheltered from the prevailing west winds by Dodman Point. Quieter than its neighbour Mevagissey, Gorran has a nice a stone harbour and quite safe bathing which makes it popular with families with easy access. The area has some nice cliff walks; southwest to Dodman Point and a northeast passing Great Perhaver Beach and on over Pabyer Point and Turbot Point to Portmellon and Mevagissey. Facilities include car parking, toilets, telephone, disabled access, cafe, shops, deckchair hire.

Carlyon Bay is actually three beaches in one, to the west is Crinnis beach, in the middle is Shorthorn beach and to the east is Polgaver beach. This is a popular coast location backed by cliffs just outside of St Austell on Cornwall’s south coast. The beach has temporary toilets, pop-up eateries and car parking although the car park can get full early on a hot summer day.