This Coastal English Area Is Known for Stunning Beaches—but It’s Home to a Community of Artists, Too

I imagine there was a time when someone climbed this cliff above this opal colored sea for the first time. Cornwall in southwest England is inhabited by humans EnglandSince the Mesolithic era. The town of St. Ives with its fishing boats and tiers of cottages would not have been visible to them back then. They might have admired purple heather, like I did. Or perhaps they noticed a pair or gannets like those I saw diving into the sea for fish. “This is an ancient area, a Celtic area,” Tom Kay, my hiking companion, told me—a fabled land of mermaids and giants. There are old myths all around.

Kay is the founder. FinisterreThe Cornish outdoor brand. He was an avid surfer and started to make fleece sweaters in St. Agnes, Cornwall, in 2003 because the local wave shops did not have anything that suited the Cornish weather, which is usually windy and cold. Finisterre has now opened stores in St. Ives, London and 12 other locations across the U.K. The label still has its headquarters in Cornwall. Its designs are influenced by the rich history of craftsmanship that exists there. 

Kay showed us a navy sweater that he had brought with him for our hike. It was made in collaboration between Britain’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Kay. The pattern was inspired by the Cornish Gansey which was knitted originally by fishermen’s daughters and wives. It is a tightly-woven woolen style that keeps out wind and saltwater, with a pattern above the chest. He said that in the 18th Century, each village near the sea had their own knitted pattern. If you got washed out to sea or lost, you could be identified by the pattern.

My first trip to Cornwall was a surprise. I knew only the highlights of the region: its beef-filled pasties and seaside holidays. Also, it has a strong cultural identity, which is characterized by dissenting political views. Cornish, an ancient Celtic language, is taught in some primary school. 

St. Ives is the creative hub of the region, with a population around 11,000 people. It also has strong artistic ties. J.M.W. Turner, the Romantic Artist, painted his best known works in the region. Barbara Hepworth lived and worked in the town. A museum and sculpture park preserves her work and studio. Cornwall’s fishing and mining industries have suffered long-term declines, but its arts community is still strong. 

In recent years, a new group of craftspeople and artisans—”makers,” basically—have hunkered down and are reviving old traditions. Andrew Todd, an artist and fashion designer who works in mixed media, told me over coffee that there are many opportunities for creative work. “It feels like Cornwall is building on its legacy of arts, crafts, and niche businesses.”

What is so special about this place? Last July, I flew into London’s Gatwick and drove 40 minutes down the coast. It was an easy trip, but a long one—I was traveling from Los Angeles—so when I checked in to the Harbour View House, I was grateful to be given a Negroni. I then started to look around. With some surprise, I noticed the staff was young and the décor rustic and sunny. It was like a mixture of Melbourne and Malibu. To discover the next morning that there was a surprisingly good breakfast burrito—well, if I hadn’t known St. Ives was a beach town, I did now.

Kay took me on my first hike, a cliff walk. He thought the coastal vistas were key to understanding what stirs creativity—the ruggedness of the hills, the soft colors. I walked around my hotel in a more urbane manner. St. Ives’ hills are filled with cottages, art galleries and small shops. All of these overlook the bay of fishing vessels. It’s also packed with tourists in the summer. I was lucky enough to snag lunch at St. Eia, A chic wine bar served me a delicious sandwich with Cornish crab. 

After a short walk, I reached Leach Pottery, It’s a local institution that is both a studio and a museum. Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada and other ceramists founded the studio in 1920. It continues to attract potters from all over the world who want to learn about its unique blend of British and Japanese tradition. Callum Cowie told me that he was very excited to be able to learn all of this information. 

Roelof, the lead potter in the studio, explained that generations of artists had travelled to Cornwall, attracted by its picturesque landscape and small-town culture. He said, “It is about a way to live and a beautiful life.” Rent was historically cheap. But that is no longer the case—especially since the pandemic, when Londoners snapped up coastal homes and prices spiked. Uys has lived in Cornwall 26 years and worries that his kids won’t have the money to live there when they are grown up. 

Leach Pottery has persevered, he said, because of its devotion to the craft. It’s about carrying on the tradition of Cornwall as a place where creativity is encouraged.

In order to get a more complete picture of Cornwall’s creative heritage, I returned toward the sea. Tate St. Ives. What other beach city can boast of a major ocean-view museum? The Tate, which opened in 1993 to celebrate the artistic heritage of the region, is a major museum. In one gallery, five abstracts painted by Mark Rothko were on display. The paintings were originally commissioned for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York. Rothko decided that the paintings were not suitable for the Four Seasons restaurant in New York and gave them to the Tate Gallery just before he died in 1970. Rothko had taken a break in 1959 from painting the murals and visited St. Ives. I was able sit quietly and absorb the images for 10 minutes; for a brief moment, it felt as if they were talking to me. 

I had dinner at the Fish Shed St. Ives, After a meal of oysters, french fries and a drink, my bartender recommended that I hike to St. Nicholas Chapel. (In the summer, the sun can set as late as 9:45 p.m.). The church has been there since the 15th century, overlooking the beach. I was curious if light always looked so dazzling, and if that’s how people felt centuries ago. 

My second day started off at Porthmeor Studios, It is one of the oldest studios for artists in England. It has provided workspaces for fishermen and artists since the 1880s—a truly Cornwall-esque combination—which meant some rooms were full of nets and buoys and others stocked with art. The artists that I met all had galleries in London, New York or elsewhere. Philip Medley was one of the painters I spoke to. His abstract art did not resemble anything nautical, yet his studio was surrounded by large windows facing the sea. “Subconsciously, it creeps in,” he confessed. “Especially during the winter when the weather starts to kick in. “I’m not aware of it but I suspect that it’s there.”

Maybe that was the answer. Cornwall is more than just a place—it harbors a mystery and mystique that stir the imagination. In the nearby town Penzance I visited an art gallery that specializes in modern art called the Exchange. Lunch at the Cornish Beer and Mortadella Sandwich was superb. Roundhouse, a tiny café housed in a Victorian-era toll booth whose owner bakes his own focaccia. I felt nourished—by art, by nature, by the spirit of people creating with their hands. Cornwall’s tradition of artistry, resourcefulness, and creativity is flourishing more than ever. 

This story was first published in June 2025 issue Travel + Leisure Under the title “Dyed in Wool.”