Shopping around Cornwall

Padstow

Once a quiet fishing port, Padstow is an increasingly popular visitor attraction thanks to a good reputation for events and a strong connection with Rick Stein.

The harbour is the focal point of the town with a collection of interesting independant stores to pick through, selling handmade trinkets and locally made treats. Visitors are spoilt for choice with an indugent array of food outlets, including chippies, cafés and bakeries to satisfy any hunger pangs.

Those interested in shopping can enjoy a vast array of clothing emporiums and gift shops, while those interested in architecture would enjoy the tiny roads and impressive buildings.

Visitors to the area could not avoid Stein for long, even if only to sample his fish and chips. As well all the chippie, he has a fish restaurant and a delicatessen in Padstow alone, not to mention a collection of B&Bs and The Cornish Arms in St Merryn.

St Eval

One for the road! St Eval is a sleepy residential village, secreting a popular and successful candle factory. Visitors can watch as the candle makers use traditional methods including pouring and drawing, to craft beautiful scented candles and themed gifts which are available to buy from the on-site shop.

St Mawgan

The attractive village of St. Mawgan is an quaint untouched traditional village in the heart of Cornwall.

A small village with an interesting couple of stores, St Mawgan is more appropriately a walking-stop, with St Mawgan Tea Rooms and village shop serving light refreshments, including sandwiches and cream teas.

St Mawgan is a picturesque village, with a Japanese Bonsai Garden acting as the main attraction.

Wadebridge

A typically Cornish town, Wadebridge is full of small independant stores in addition to the usual high street chains. Those interested in arts and crafts will be pleased to note a small collection of galleries, as well as unusual clothes stores and trinket shops to search through.

The town connects to Bodmin and Padstow via the popular and well-used cycling track, The Camel Trail, and as such it has many Bike Hire shops. The Camel Trail is a disused railway track that runs alongside the River Camel leading from Wenfordbrige through to Padstow, and is popular with walkers horse riders and cyclists.

Wadebridge is also host to the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Show, an extermely popoular fair that has been held over 3 days since 1793. It is one of Cornwalls most popular tourist attractions, and sees over 120,000 visitors each year who come for the food and craft stalls, as well as the animal shows. Often graced by Royal guests, the show has outstadning entertainment displays including RAF parachuters which run throughout the day.

The town centre is home to a vast selection of tradititonal village stores, including a butchers, bakery, fishmongers and greengrocer selling locally sourced food and produce.

Newquay

The surfing capital of the country, Newquay is jam packed full of quirky stores, including designer surfwear and knick knacks.

Ensconced by many beaches, it is a holiday hotspot, and has a colourful nightlife, as well as a selection of entertaining venues - including a traditional arcade. Newquay even has a zoo just outside the town centre and an aquarium on the Towan Beachfront.

Newqauy high street stretches through the entire town, and is brimming with individual and specialist stores from national names to independant boutiques -

Truro

The Capital city of Cornwall - if Truro doesn't have what you're after, then Cornwall certainly doesn't stock it. Visitors will find a vast array of shops to suit every need, in a beautiful and little touched city, with a magnificent Cathedral at the heart of it all.

As visitors might expect, the usual high street chains are present, in addition to a handful of boutique stores, however the best finds are the independant stores on the outskirts of the city, including delicatessens and retro sweet shops as well as vintage clothing stores and art studios.

With a series of interlinking side streets, Truro is a maze of stores and fascinating architecture, and is host to many annual events, including the Festival of Lights in November (incredible and indescribable) as well as being home to the Hall for Cornwall.

Falmouth

Falmouth has a rich history along with its castles and impressive coastline and offers the perfect backdrop to a family day trip. Artists flock to the town for inspired paintings of the horizon and the harbour.

In addition to the varied clothing and footwear shops, Falmouth has a multitude of attractions including the Maritime Museum and a selection of Art Galleries and Workshops as well as Henry VIIIs Pendennis castle.

The town is surrounded by parks and gardens as well as breathtaking coastal walks, and much of the activity in the area is based around the sea itself - with diving and fishing trips setting off from the harbour.

Falmouth is a popular tourist destination for it's seaside location and 4 sandy beaches, including Maenporth Beach which is known for it's "Hedgehog" ice-creams and watersports.

St Austell

Visitors can browse through the comprehensive White River Shopping Centre, full of the usual High Street chain stores, with a nearby cinema complex. The High Street itself is dotted with independant stores, selling gifts and also necessities to visitors and residents alike.

Cornish Market World, just outside of St Austell is an indoor market selling a mulitide of locally sourced and crafted goods and produce, including clothing jewellery food and bedding - and all the above for pets. Immediately adjacent to the Market you'll find Kidzworld - an indoor adventure park, ideal for occupying the younger members of the family who are perhaps not interested in the market itself.

St. Ives

St Ives is a popular holiday destination as well as day trip. The Art and Culture capital of the West Country St Ives is known for its galleries and craft shops.

Once a successful fishing port, St Ives holds a wealth of ancient culture, including a strong religious history, but is also a well-known artist hot spot popular with aspiring painters for its incredible light and with holidaymakers for the sandy beaches.

St Ives has a handful or quirky shops, mostly gimmicky, however for art supplies or local paintings there is nowhere in the country more appropriate. St Ives is also home to The Tate Museum - showcasing modern art created in recent years, and has a sculpture garden open for the Summer - with a beach on its very doorstep.

Mawgan Porth

Mawgan Porth has a small collection of stores on the beachfront, including Disco Beads, a handmade jewellery shop, King Surf, selling a variety of surfing paraphernalia, Bettys Surf shop (same again) the Mini-Golf Giftshop and Bre Pen Farm shop.

Bodmin

A Cornish town with a rich history, Bodmin is a firm favourite with architecture and history lovers, as well as those interested in pottering through small stores.

Bodmin is host to a vast array of attractions, with Lanhydrock Manor House, the Camel Valley Vineyard, Bodmin Jail and the Town Museum within a short distance of the Town Centre. The shops are a mixture of well-known brand and specialist stores and foodies are spoilt for choice with a varied supply of restaurant and cafés.