St Austell

United_Kingdom

Eden Project

St Austell is a town in Cornwall, England. Its main attraction is the Eden Project, a huge outdoor and indoor collection of plants from around the world. The town is also a centre of the Cornish china-clay industry.

  • The Eden Project, Bodelva PL24 2SG (3 miles north of St Austell, +44 1726 811911. Daily (except Christmas Eve & Christmas Day) 9:30AM-6PM (last entry 4:30PM). Spectacular rehabilitation of an old china-clay pit. Full of plant life, the star attractions being the two "biomes": one tropical rain-forest habitat, one Mediterranean, housed in vast transparent hex-domes, like Xanadu in galactic bubble-wrap. Impressive if a tad eco-preachy, plus lots of merchandising and theme-park stuff (eg "Hangloose", a long zip-wire ride over the site), which it's easy to swerve. They hope to build a third biome, for desert life, when finances allow.
    By car, approach via A391 Bodmin-St Austell Rd: a new road leads in with the closest available car-park signed. (Parks L to E are almost a mile out, D & C are closer, use free shuttle bus. B is a short walk, A is disabled only.) First Kernow Bus 101 runs hourly from St Austell (30 min), a taxi from there costs about £7, and these drop off/pick up at Park A. By bike you can short-cut along Luxulyan Rd from St Austell, or Prideaux Rd from St Blazey, to avoid lumping up the moor only to turn back down again. There's also a YHA on site, see "sleep". Adults £27.50, students £22.50, children 5–16 £14, under 5s free, family (2 adults and 2 children) £71; 10% off if purchased online at least a day in advance; 15% off if you arrive by bus, cycle or on foot.
  • Wheal Martyn, Carthew PL26 8XG (on B3274, 2 miles N of St Austell, +44 1726 850362. Daily 10AM-5PM. China clay mining museum, with various exhibits of the extraction process. Adult £9.75, ages 5-16 £5.50, under 5 free; family 2+2 £28, 2+4 £34.

The Eden Project, Bodelva PL24 2SG (3 miles north of St Austell, +44 1726 811911. Daily (except Christmas Eve & Christmas Day) 9:30AM-6PM (last entry 4:30PM). Spectacular rehabilitation of an old china-clay pit. Full of plant life, the star attractions being the two "biomes": one tropical rain-forest habitat, one Mediterranean, housed in vast transparent hex-domes, like Xanadu in galactic bubble-wrap. Impressive if a tad eco-preachy, plus lots of merchandising and theme-park stuff (eg "Hangloose", a long zip-wire ride over the site), which it's easy to swerve. They hope to build a third biome, for desert life, when finances allow.
By car, approach via A391 Bodmin-St Austell Rd: a new road leads in with the closest available car-park signed. (Parks L to E are almost a mile out, D & C are closer, use free shuttle bus. B is a short walk, A is disabled only.) First Kernow Bus 101 runs hourly from St Austell (30 min), a taxi from there costs about £7, and these drop off/pick up at Park A. By bike you can short-cut along Luxulyan Rd from St Austell, or Prideaux Rd from St Blazey, to avoid lumping up the moor only to turn back down again. There's also a YHA on site, see "sleep". Adults £27.50, students £22.50, children 5–16 £14, under 5s free, family (2 adults and 2 children) £71; 10% off if purchased online at least a day in advance; 15% off if you arrive by bus, cycle or on foot.

Wheal Martyn, Carthew PL26 8XG (on B3274, 2 miles N of St Austell, +44 1726 850362. Daily 10AM-5PM. China clay mining museum, with various exhibits of the extraction process. Adult £9.75, ages 5-16 £5.50, under 5 free; family 2+2 £28, 2+4 £34.

  • Kidzworld, Par Moor Rd PL25 3RP (2 miles east of town off A390. Tu-Su 10AM-7PM; individual rides and attractions have own hours. Mostly aimed at younger children. With adjacent retail park. Children £12.50, adults £6, cheaper online.

Kidzworld, Par Moor Rd PL25 3RP (2 miles east of town off A390. Tu-Su 10AM-7PM; individual rides and attractions have own hours. Mostly aimed at younger children. With adjacent retail park. Children £12.50, adults £6, cheaper online.

  • Cornish Market World, Stadium Retail Park, Par Moor Rd PL25 3RP (Next to Kidzworld, +44 1726 812544. W Sa Su 9AM-5PM. Browse and shop at Cornish Market World, while the children play at Kidzworld. Charlie's offers fun for young adults and the Kids' Academy is an Ofsted-approved nursery, pre-school and holiday club.

Cornish Market World, Stadium Retail Park, Par Moor Rd PL25 3RP (Next to Kidzworld, +44 1726 812544. W Sa Su 9AM-5PM. Browse and shop at Cornish Market World, while the children play at Kidzworld. Charlie's offers fun for young adults and the Kids' Academy is an Ofsted-approved nursery, pre-school and holiday club.

Eating places are mostly central, around the bus station, with Chinese, Indian and fish & chips. There's a few more down Charlestown Rd by the harbour.

  • St Austell Brewery, 63 Trevarthian Rd, +44 345 241 1122. Established 1851. Museum, bar and tours

St Austell Brewery, 63 Trevarthian Rd, +44 345 241 1122. Established 1851. Museum, bar and tours