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Walk - Hayle to St Ives

Start
Hayle
Finish
St Ives
Length
6.1 miles (9.8 km)
Summary

The route from Britain’s oldest swing bridge leads you along roads following the Hayle Estuary. You are able to take small detours in places in order to reach the muddy flats which are home to many different species of birdlife. Hayle was once the most important industrial port in Cornwall and a centre of copper mining and smelting.

The Path also follows part of the ancient pilgrim route called St Michael’s Way which led pilgrims across Cornwall from Lelant to Marazion, near Penzance, where they would then travel on to the Cathedral of St James in Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. Follow the railway line to St Ives, passing Carbis Bay and through the wooded outskirts of the town before arriving at the large, sheltered expanse of golden sand that is Porthminster Beach.

Difficulty
Moderate

3D Fly Through

View a 3D fly through of the route using the Google Earth plugin

Hide the 3D fly through

Download the KML file to view in Google Earth

Highlights

  • The 100 year-old swing bridge at the entrance to Hayle harbour.
  • The birds of Hayle Estuary including curlews and oystercatchers. Winter is the season to see the most birds, in fact as many as 18,000 birds have been recorded here in the cold season.
  • Hayle’s mining and rail heritage. Little remains of the Carnsew foundry of Harvey & Co near the railway viaduct in the town centre, yet at one time it was a thriving business exporting Cornish beam engines and other mining equipment all over the world. You can find out more information from the town library and Tourist Information Centre in Commercial Road.
  • The RSPB hide at Ryan’s Field, open to visitors and containing information and identification charts.
  • St Uny’s Church, Lelant, with its ancient Cornish crosses. It is believed that the churchyard is built on the site of a Roman fort. This is the starting point of St Michael’s Way.
  • The views of the dunes and out to Godrevy from above Porth Kidney Sands. This beach is often deserted due to lack of parking facilities.
  • The large, sheltered sandy beaches of Carbis Bay, which are perfect for picnics.
  • Exploring all that St Ives has to offer, including a wealth of art and crafts, fantastic cafes and restaurants and of course the beautiful beaches.

Places of interest

  • The Tate Gallery at St Ives.
  • The museum of St Ives full of information about St Ives’ cultural links as well as maritime and mining history. Tel: 01736 796005.

Shorter option

Carbis Bay (4.5 miles, 7 km).

Longer option

Zennor (7.2 miles, 11.2km) - but be aware that the section of path between St Ives and Zennor of path is quite rugged and you should allow at least 3 hours.

Nearby refreshments

Refreshments are available from many places along the route, including Lelant and Carbis Bay.

For locally sourced produce try the vegetarian Woodcote Hotel at The Saltings, Lelant, or The Garrack Hotel in Burthallan Lane, St Ives, which was awarded the AA restaurant guide’s Best Use Of Local Produce.

Public transport

The nearest train stations are Hayle & St Ives. For timetable information, zoom in on the interactive map and click on the train station and bus stop symbols, visit Traveline or phone 0871 200 22 33.

Parking

Hayle (Postcode for Sat Navs: TR27 4HQ), Lelant, Carbis Bay and St Ives.

St Ives. Photographer John Edwards, Hengoed.

St Ives. Photographer John Edwards, Hengoed.

Dogs on the coastpath

Section 20: Hayle to St Ives

Starts 227 miles (366 km) from Minehead

Ends 399 miles (642 km) to Poole

Previous section in South West Coast Path Portreath to Hayle

Next section in South West Coast Path St Ives to Pendeen

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Local maps and publications

Nearby accommodation

SWCP Association list

This list is provided by the SWCP Association in partnership with Luggage Transfers Ltd (who move walker's bags along the whole path), and these places are used to taking walkers for a single night.

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Safety advice

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