St Just is the mainland of the UK's most westerly town with a population of around 3000 in Cornwall. Traditionally a mining town, the last mine closed in 1996. St Just now makes the majority of its income from passing tourists.
Penzance Tourist Information Centre, +44 1736 362207. Can help with information and accommodation
Penzance Tourist Information Centre, +44 1736 362207. Can help with information and accommodation
Sights are largely outside but near. Anywhere on the north Cornish coast near here is great with Cape Cornwall as the scenic highlight. Sennen Cove to the west and St Ives to the east have excellent beaches.
- Cape Cornwall. Rocky beach with a bathing pool (Priest Cove), used by small day fishing boats.
- Cot Valley. SSSI beach with a unique raised beach.
- Porth Nanven. Over the saddle to the South of Cot Valley - body rock beach with great swimming and snorkelling. Various other beaches dot the coast near to the town.
If you have a car, you could try the tourist-orientated beaches of Sennen Cove and Gwenver near Land's End or St Ives town beaches.
Cape Cornwall. Rocky beach with a bathing pool (Priest Cove), used by small day fishing boats.
Cot Valley. SSSI beach with a unique raised beach.
Porth Nanven. Over the saddle to the South of Cot Valley - body rock beach with great swimming and snorkelling.
The whole area is full of mining remains but the following are outstanding.
- Botallack. particularly The Crowns
- Kenidjack. Wheal Owles, Boswedden Mine and the Kenidjack arsenic Also Ding Dong Mine near Sancreed and Levant mine and beam engine in nearby Pendeen.
Botallack. particularly The Crowns
Kenidjack. Wheal Owles, Boswedden Mine and the Kenidjack arsenic
- Ballowal Barrow, Carn Gloose (SW355312. Round Barrow with a fine viewpoint overlooking Cape Cornwallh Also see sites in nearby St Buryan and the parishes of Madron and Sancreed.
Ballowal Barrow, Carn Gloose (SW355312. Round Barrow with a fine viewpoint overlooking Cape Cornwallh
Although the granite churches here have much in common, they all have distinctive features.
- St Just. has ancient frescoes
There are plenty more in the area such as in St Levan, St Buryan and Saint Senara's Church in Zennor.
St Just. has ancient frescoes
- Walk up to the moors above the town.
- St Just is good placed for an overnight stop on the Coastal Path (from Penzance, Lands' End and Sennen to the South and Zennor and St. Ives to the North).
- Scenic flights or trial flight lessons from Lands End Airfield 2 miles from town.
- Visit Cape Cornwall - 2 miles down Cape Cornwall Road (past the grey grim looking Secondary School). Once thought to be the most Westerly point in the UK, proved wrong with modern mapping. Stunning scenery and a welcoming Coast Watch Station (www.ccnci.org.uk) on the sea facing slope of the cape. A good circular walk (3 miles, an hour, plus stops) is: down Cape Cornwall Road to the cricket club, turn left and follow on to Carn Gloose, carry on down the track to Cape Cornwall. On the way back follow the road for 100 m and turn left 45 degrees along a foot path track, follow this round past the house on the left before turning left onto a foot path. Follow the valley all the way back to the town.
- Visit the ancient stone circles around the town.
- Lafrowda Festival - performing arts festival with (free) live music into the night. Mid July.
- St Just Feast - 1st November every year - the start of the St Just hunt (which isn't allowed to hunt any more), general 'piss up' in the town.
- New Year's Eve - fancy dress night. Normally every one spills out from all the pubs and dances round the Christmas tree in Market Square (the one with the Co-Op) just before midnight.
- Market Jew Day - early April every second year - another excuse for a party - traditionally the day when the Jews would be shipped out, but luckily now this is only celebrated in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
- McFaddens butchers, 11 Market Square, +44 1736 788136. A large steak pasty - without doubt the best pasty in Cornwall (and therefore the world).
- The Cook Book, 4 Cape Cornwall St, +44 1736 787266. Have lunch - a cafe downstairs, second hand books shop upstairs. Sometimes does evening meals.
- Jeremys Fish and Chips, 2 Market Square, +44 1736 786002. locally caught fish, take away and during the summer restaurant upstairs.
- Red Star, 1 Cape Cornwall St, +44 1736 788104. Chinese takeaway.
- Kegen Teg, 12 Market Square, +44 1736 788562. Cafe which does decent evening meals and operates a bring your own bottle of wine policy.
McFaddens butchers, 11 Market Square, +44 1736 788136. A large steak pasty - without doubt the best pasty in Cornwall (and therefore the world).
The Cook Book, 4 Cape Cornwall St, +44 1736 787266. Have lunch - a cafe downstairs, second hand books shop upstairs. Sometimes does evening meals.
Jeremys Fish and Chips, 2 Market Square, +44 1736 786002. locally caught fish, take away and during the summer restaurant upstairs.
Red Star, 1 Cape Cornwall St, +44 1736 788104. Chinese takeaway.
Kegen Teg, 12 Market Square, +44 1736 788562. Cafe which does decent evening meals and operates a bring your own bottle of wine policy.
St. Just is a small hard drinking town, expect good chat from locals but don't say Cornwall is part of England
- The Star Inn, 1 Fore St, +44 1736 788767. live local music on Monday nights, open mic on Thursday nights and a good crowd on Friday and Saturday nights
- Commercial Arms. (see Sleep section)
- Kings Arms, 5 Market Square, +44 1736 788545.
- Wellington Hotel, Market Square, +44 1736 787319.
- St Just Rugby Club, Tregeseal (5 minutes walk out of town., +44 1736 788593. with a bar
- The Royal British Legion, 11 Market St,, +44 1736 787101. open to non-members.
- Plein An Gwarry. Sit with a can
On Friday and Saturdays its not uncommon for people to club together and share a taxi to the night clubs in Penzance "Oii my lover are you going down barn tonight?" is what you may be asked, which refers to the Barn Night Club in Penzance. A taxi is around £20 each way - not too bad if you get 7 people and a 7 seater minibus taxi.
The Star Inn, 1 Fore St, +44 1736 788767. live local music on Monday nights, open mic on Thursday nights and a good crowd on Friday and Saturday nights
Commercial Arms. (see Sleep section)
Kings Arms, 5 Market Square, +44 1736 788545.
Wellington Hotel, Market Square, +44 1736 787319.
St Just Rugby Club, Tregeseal (5 minutes walk out of town., +44 1736 788593. with a bar
The Royal British Legion, 11 Market St,, +44 1736 787101. open to non-members.
Plein An Gwarry. Sit with a can
St. Just is a safe place with low rates of petty crime. Be sensible though and don't leave valuables on display in your car over night. St. Just is a major gateway for narcotics dropped off by small speed boats in the middle of the night at the large number of coves dotted around the coast. There is a significant organised criminal network operating, although this should be of little significance to the visitor it does create some of the lowest street prices for illegal drugs in Western Europe.
- Geevor - tin mine Pendeen.
- Visit the Isles of Scilly - a 15-minute flight from Land's End Airfield 2 miles from the town or a 2 hour 40 minute sea crossing from Penzance.
- St Ives - drive (or take an open top bus in summer) the 15 miles along the North Coast road (B3306) to St Ives - spectacular scenery, plus various pubs to stop at along the way. Luckily the UK has a higher drink drive limit than the US or other European countries and it's perfectly normal to have a couple of pints and still drive. While the limit is higher, the police still crack down hard on anyone caught driving above this limit.
Geevor - tin mine [[Pendeen]].