Charlestown - A historic day out in Cornwall.
Happy Friday from sunny Cornwall (about time!).
Today's post is all about Charlestown.
Located on the south coast of Cornwall, along St. Austell Bay and 2 miles away from the St. Austell town centre, Charlestown was originally a tiny fishing village which consisted of a population of 9 fishermen and their families.
In 1790 a local businessman called Charles Rashleigh, alongside a civil engineer named John Smeaton started to develop the harbour which was completed in 1804. As the china clay industry in St. Austell started to thrive, the harbour started to be used to export china clay and copper.
These days it is more known to be a popular filming location and has been featured in Dr Who, Poldark and the 2008 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.
Charlestown is now a busy village and attracts thousands of visitors every year. The village offers a selection of shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants, a church and even a museum.
Visitors are welcome to take a stroll down to the harbour to see the beautiful Georgian architecture and see the breathtaking views over the rest of St. Austell Bay.
Between April and October, the inner harbour is open free of charge which allows the public to explore the harbour's history from within. There are also some food outlets open here so everyone can enjoy an afternoon coffee or an evening meal, all while taking in the views of the tall-ships which are a famous feature of Charlestown.
Find out more about days out in Charlestown here.
We have a dedicated page on days out in Cornwall, find out more here.
