St Agnes

St Agnes is a former tin-mining village on Cornwall’s north coast, set above Trevaunance Cove between high headlands. The Wheal Coates engine house on the cliffs south of the village is one of the most photographed buildings in Cornwall, and St Agnes Beacon above the village gives 360-degree views across the county. The South West Coast Path connects St Agnes to Chapel Porth beach to the south and Porthtowan beyond.

The village itself is strung along a narrow valley running down to the coast, with a good mix of independent shops, galleries, cafes and pubs. The Taphouse is a proper local with good beer and regular live music. St Agnes feels less polished than some Cornish villages - it has a slightly edgier, more creative energy that draws artists, surfers and people who’ve deliberately chosen somewhere with character over prettiness. The St Agnes Beacon, a short walk above the village, gives 360-degree views across Cornwall and is managed as heathland by the National Trust.

The coastal walking from St Agnes is among the best on the north coast. Head north towards Chapel Porth - a wild sandy beach backed by old mine workings - and on towards Porthtowan, or south along the cliffs towards Cligga Head. The mining heritage is everywhere: engine houses on the skyline, old shafts in the heath, and the Wheal Coates engine house perched on the cliff edge above Chapel Porth, which has become one of the most photographed buildings in Cornwall.