St Ives Live Cam

St Ives - For the best self catering accommodation in Cornwall - Cornish Riviera Holidays, St. Ives, Cornwall - England. Cornish Riviera Holidays is a small independent agency which operates full time all year round.

There are few holiday resorts in the world, which offer such a perfect setting as St. Ives. The magnificent sandy beaches surrounding the charm of 'Down-Long' with its jumbled granite cottages, cobbled streets and quaint courtyards all huddled together around the shelter of the harbour. 'Down-Long' is an area bounded by Wescotts Quay to the South, The Island to the North, Porthgwidden to the East and a line drawn due South from the junction of Porthmeor and The Digey to Tregenna Place and Gabriel Street to the West.

It is within this area that the majority of our properties are situated - all within easy walking distance of the beaches, harbour, shops, and the new Tate Gallery. The street names depict the history and ways of life of Old St. Ives; St. Eia, Wheal Dream, Fish Street, Virgin Street, Teetotal Street, Salubrious Place, Bethesda Hill, Mount Zion etc. The former being named after the Celtic Saint Ia who is reputed to have arrived on an Ivy leaf from her native Ireland, others of mining, fishing and chapel showing a strong Wesleyan influence. The colour photographs in this web site have been taken with a wide-angle lens, which tends to exaggerate the size of rooms.

The majority of our cottages belonged to old St. Ives fishermen, are constructed of local granite and are, mostly, well over 200 years old. They have been modernised by their individual owners who have taken great care to retain the original character and charm. However, the porous granite and high humidity out of season does create dampness to which you may not be accustomed, but should be prepared for, particularly if you have the elderly or very young children in your party.

All properties have been personally inspected and, with the full co-operation of the owners, meet the minimum standards as laid down by the English Tourist Board for Self-Catering Accommodation. Many however, exceed this standard but it is important to bear in mind that these are holiday cottages, flats etc., therefore furnishings and décor are generally simple and functional. They are, however, comfortably furnished and equipped with bedding, crockery, cutlery, cooking utensils etc.

Except where otherwise stated sheets and pillowcases are not provided but may be hired as well as cots and 'Z' beds at nominal rentals. Properties are always checked before arrival and after departure. Consequently, we do expect guests to leave the property as it was found and reserve the right to impose any extra cleaning charge if necessary, which would be deducted from the damage deposit.

Bookings for the high season are for Saturday to Saturday except where otherwise stated. Tenants wishing to re-book the same property for the same period the following year - should do so before december 1st. Please note; Owners do have first priority. No deposit is required until january. We offer a limited number of 'Budget Holidays' throughout the winter, low season and between Easter and Spring Bank Holidays.

Although some properties accept dogs, it should be noted that a no dogs rule operates on most beaches in St. Ives from Easter to September inclusive. It must be noted that a returnable damage deposit of £50.00 is payable with the final balance of rental to provide the owners with some security against damage, electricity, gas consumption etc. Car parking is a problem we all have to face in St. Ives, but at the time of going to press, we are able to offer 15 reserved car spaces.

These are offered on a 'first come first served' basis and we ask for your understanding if we are unable to meet all your individual requirements in this regard. Weekly tickets are, however, available on most municipal car parks. It is not possible to make advance reservations, so all spaces will be charged on arrival. You are advised to bring £20.00 worth of £1.00 coins for this purpose. A general information book containing details of the property and general information about our town is left in each room for your convenience.

Following the success of our economy package last year, Cornish Riviera Holidays are pleased to introduce another Budget Holiday Scheme for the winter and low season periods, excluding Bank Holidays and Half Terms.

I would like to welcome you to the Town of St Ives. We are very proud of our town with its long history. St Ives became a municipality with a Mayor, Recorder & Town Clerk in 1639 during the reign of King Charles I. Unfortunately this charter is no longer in existence. The present charter was granted in 1685 in the reign of James II. We still keep up many of our ancient customs, for example, The Feast of St Eia, after whom are town is named.

Our parish church was dedicated on 3 February 1434 and we celebrate this day each year with a procession of the Mayor, Mace Bearers, Town Clerk, Freemen, Councillors and townspeople to St Eia Well where a vicar blesses the waters of the well which was in former times the water supply of the town and also blesses the Silver Ball.

The procession then returns to the Church Gardens where the Mayor throws the Silver Ball to the waiting crowd of school children on the beach below. This event is very popular with local children because they are all given the day off school. At 12 noon whoever returns the Silver Ball to the Guildhall is rewarded with a specially minted Crown coin to be kept as a keepsake. The Councillors on the balcony then throw pennies to the crowd of children below.

Annual Mayor choosing is another ancient ceremony where the Mayor is proposed and seconded in the Council chamber and after the usual speeches the whole Council and new Mayor process to the Parish Church for the service of blessing on the Mayor and Council. The Vicar then delivers the Hext sermon, a sermon for which he receives a small payment from monies left by the first Mayor of the Borough, Richard Hext in 1639.

In the afternoon the Mayor gives the local children a sticky bun and a drink of pop from the loving cup also presented to the town in 1639 by Mayor Hext. In the evening there is a grand formal banquet at the Porthminster Hotel where the new Mayor and his Council plus representatives from all the local voluntary organisations are present.

St Ives is a wonderful place to live; in spite of being a holiday town it has a tremendous community spirit and all of us who live here are proud to call this little town home.

St Ives, one of the most famous resort towns in Cornwall, combines the great Cornish tradition of a fishing harbour enclosed by a circle of magnificent beaches and backed by a glorious maze of narrow streets and alleyways. Artists have always been attracted to the town because of its 'light' and now it boasts the arrival of the 'Tate Gallery of St Ives' which reinforces its claim of being one of the world's leading art centres.

The panoramic vista of this resort is quite magnificent revealing a town ringed by glorious beaches and surrounded by a turquoise sea. The beauty is enhanced by displays of flowers that have brought international honours. Fishing, farming and mining are the industries that have shaped St Ives, with fishing the dominant force in the heart of the town. In the mid 19th century, there were 400 boats involved in pilchard fishing plus sailing ships importing coal, and exporting tin, copper, stone and, of course, fish. On the seaward side of Smeaton's Pier you can see the remains of the "new" pier which was built to alleviate the overcrowding of the harbour.

Built mostly of wood, this pier was quickly destroyed by the sea and Smeaton's Pier was extended instead. The West Pier (by the Lifeboat House) was built in 1894 as a loading jetty for locally quarried stone. Life revolves around the harbour and the fishing trade that helped it grow to prosperity. Fishing boats still operate from St. Ives and you can watch them unloading their catches of fish and crabs. The annual Harbour Day celebrates the focal point of the town and creates a carnival atmosphere.

When you stand by the Lifeboat House and look along Wharf Road, bear in mind that this road was built as recently as 1922. Before then only a narrow pathway ran between the sea and buildings, with Fore Street carrying all the traffic - both ways! A stone's throw from the harbour area is a host of narrow streets and passageways comprising the old part of the town, all interconnecting and offering innumerable opportunities to explore.

Since the 19th Century, St Ives has attracted many artists, professional and amateur, with many of international acclaim, gaining inspiration here, working in studios still in use today. The Tate Gallery, by Porthmeor Beach, displays work by St Ives based artists and the Barbara Hepworth museum features the work of this famous sculptress in her own garden and studio.

Carbis Bay also sits in the crescent of St Ives Bay, acting as a kind of overture to the town and delighting in a fabulous coastline and beach. A journey on the scenic railway from Lelant to St Ives shows off this coast at its best.

With cobbled streets, steep slopes and steps, the secret corners, the unexpected delight at almost every turn, St. Ives is a sparkling treasure, whatever your reason for coming to St. Ives - the surfing, the beaches, the coastal walks or the art - you will find it here.

St Ives Museum has many artefacts and photographs explaining the life and history of St Ives over many years.

St Nicholas Chapel was a chapel for local mariners since the sixteenth century, and was also used as a look-out for the "preventive men", and a store for the war office. It was nearly demolished in 1904 but a local outcry saved the building, which was later restored.

Smeaton's Pier was built in 1770, to about half its present length and extended in 1890, due to the overcrowding of the harbour. At the start of the pier stands the medieval St Leonard's Chapel, where fishermen prayed before going to sea, and paid the resident friar in fish.

The Railway Station is at the end of one of the most beautiful branch lines in the country. The railway first came to St Ives in 1887 and was once the most popular means of transport for visitors to the town. The branch line connects with the main line at St Erth and the "Park and Ride" at Lelant.

The Parish Church, consecrated in 1434, took about sixteen years to build and must have been a tremendous undertaking for the town's 500 inhabitants. The Tower is one of the tallest in Cornwall and the ceiling is admired by visitors from near and far.