If you've heard anything at all about Cornwall, you've probably heard about St Ives. Known for its art scene, surfers, and dazzling beachscapes, the seaside town has long had a firm reputation as the jewel in Cornwall's crown. But residents of a less-well-known neighbouring town are urging holidaymakers not to overlook it this summer.
St Just is a low-key town nestled into Cornwall's rugged coastline just 15 miles further south-west along the peninsula from St Ives towards Land's End. Unlike St Ives, this town doesn't have a famous namesake - but if you're looking for a laid-back, "no frills" spot with real local life, solid community spirit, and just a stone's throw from England's only cape, you could do worse, according to locals.
Staff at the Commercial Hotel, a former coaching Inn right in the centre of St Just in its Market Square, are among the town's biggest advocates. The General Manager, who did not wish to be named, told MyLondon the little town has "everything you could possibly need" in the way of amenities, as well as a whole lot of heart and soul.
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"There’s always something going on, there’s a really good community spirit and there’s a lot of locals as well, it’s not a town made up of holiday lets," she said, and said once tourists arrive in the town they tend to want to stay put. "You can fill a week by doing beach hops to coastal walks, to sitting in the pub garden for a few beers in the afternoon," she explained.
And why would you need to go anywhere else, she added, when among the town's excellent amenities are several good pubs, a fish and chip shop, a grocery store and a butchers? These are pretty much all family-run businesses, according to the hotel manager - incredibly, the Commercial Hotel itself has been run by the same family for over 100 years.
In terms of where to visit, the hotel manager tipped the coastline as a must-see, since visitors can walk down to England's only cape, Cape Cornwall, which marks the spot where the Atlantic currents divide, or to the rugged patches of coastline where Poldark was filmed. Wild swimmers in particular can't get enough of the natural sea pools formed by the rocky coast.
The Commercial General Manager added, "We always recommend visitors to get a bus to St Ives and leave their car here for free." As for St Just, "it’s not about frills, if that's what you’re looking for. It’s just a really nice place to be... if you want to come and sit and have a chinwag with a local in a bar, or get recommendations for where to go, this is the place to be."
As well as the cape, another point of pride for locals of St Just is the town's mining heritage. We spoke to John Hulse, landlord of the Queen's Arms pub in a little hamlet just outside the town, who said tourists still want to visit the mines around St Just, which were once the source of a huge quantity of tin, and an incredible two-thirds of the world's entire supply of copper. The St Just Mining District is even a UNESCO world heritage site.
John, who has been landlord of the Queen's Arms for more than 14 years, said St Just itself is "quaint, it's all old miners cottages." The town has just two hotels, the Commercial and the Wellington, and two pubs, but a strong community spirit. As for the landscape, he said, "it’s very rugged, because we’ve got cove at one end, and St Ives at the other - and the rest is rugged coast."
How to get there
To get to St Just from London it's between a five and six hour drive (depending if you're more East London or West), via the M3 then A-roads from Basingstoke, or a seven hour journey via public transport, via train to Penzance followed by a half-hour bus ride on the Number 18 from Penzance.
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