Why St Austell in Cornwall should be on your slow travel radar

Years after I read about Cornwall in an Enid Blyton book, I made my way to the ceremonial county that's largely rural in nature. Soon, I found that apart from a smuggling-dominated past that was vividly brought to life in Five Go Down to the Sea, the remote county combines natural beauty and cultural heritage. 

North Cornwall—with wild, rugged cliffs and long windswept beaches—is a land of myths and legends; South Cornwall has a gentle coast with small sheltered coves and historic fishing villages. 

I station myself in St Austell, an old market town just a few miles from the coast. Located 278 miles from London, St Austell began life as a village centred on a parish church that dates to the 12th century. It witnessed electric growth and transformed into a town with the arrival of tin mining in the 18th century. 

But more changes were in store for this tiny village, where the landscape is surrounded by sharp peaks known as the Cornish Alps. 

“The discovery of China clay (kaolin) just north of the town transformed everything, as this find in the 18th century was akin to a gold strike. Kaolin is actually called 'white gold',” says Ron Davies at the Carclaze, a welcoming pub in St Austell.

As we tuck into a sharing platter, loaded with crispy chicken goujons, garlic and herb mushrooms, beer-battered onion rings, cheesy potato dippers, and garlic bread, he tells us more about the history of the town he calls home. 

Kaolin was first used in China more than 10,000 years ago to make fine porcelain, which won a following among the royalty and gentry. But stocks were limited, and a Plymouth apothecary spent several years looking for a material that could be used instead. 

“In 1745, he found it—a rare decomposed granite finer than most talcum powders—at Tregonning Hill in Cornwall,” Davies says. “Kaolin then found use in the production of pharmaceuticals, textiles, and paper, and St Austell’s deposits emerged as the largest in the world.” 

Thousands of men were employed in the clay mines through the 19th century. About 65,000 tonnes of China clay were mined every year in the St Austell region by the mid-19th century, leading to the construction of railways and tramways to transport the product and waste. “By 1910, Cornwall was the production hub for 50% of the world's China clay; about 75% of this was exported,” Davies says. 

We see the kaolin story come to life at the Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum, set on 26 acres, including a former China clay pit. Cornwall’s largest working waterwheel, a ‘Pit View’ that showcases a modern working China clay pit, an interactive discovery centre, and nature trails reveal the story of the thousands of men and their families who made Cornwall the hub for kaolin production. 

St Austell has changed considerably since then. Home to about 21,000 people, it offers the chance to slow down and relax, while exploring natural attractions. The curve of St Austell Bay, with its many sandy beaches, is a haven for water sports, walking, and cycling. Nature lovers can embrace the elements and get active with wild swimming, stand-up paddle boarding, surfing, or cycling the unique clay trails. 

I prefer walking small sections of the stunning South West Coast Path—England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath that spans 630 miles. In the mornings, when the people are few and the air is crisp and clear, the sound of the waves lapping against the shore is the most soothing thing I have ever heard.

That afternoon, I decided to join the heated scone debate: cream first or jam? People in the neighbouring counties of Cornwall and Devon have for centuries indulged in a friendly culinary face-off on how to assemble the perfect cream tea. 

“The dispute is very simple: should one, like the Cornish, spread jam first on the scone and then top it with clotted cream, or should the cream be slathered first, followed by the jam, the way the Devonians do,” says Robbie Carew, a server at the posh Cornwall Hotel. 

In Devon, the scone is denser than the traditional Cornish split, a light and fluffy baked delight. “It’s barely sweet and makes the perfect canvas for the rich clotted cream and sweet jam. We go jam first as we consider clotted cream the crowning glory of a scone. Plopping it on top of the jam showcases its velvety richness,” Carew adds. 

I tried both options, cream first and jam first, but drawing a conclusion isn’t my cup of tea. However, it provides food for thought: be it Cornwall or Devon, afternoon tea is a social ritual—a pause in a busy day that lets me delight in sweet and savoury flavours and enjoy the moment. 

The pace of life is relaxed in St Austell, and the days out invite me to slow down and smell the flowers. I find plenty of them at the Lost Gardens of Heligan, formerly the estate of the Tremayne family and buried under overgrowth for decades after World War II. 

Spread over 200 acres, the 19th-century gardens were rediscovered in 1990 and nurtured into Europe's largest garden restoration project since then. I explore formal lawns, greenhouses bursting with fruit trees, working kitchen gardens, and a secret grotto. The 25m-high rhododendron and a selection of palms, ferns, and tropical blooms create a verdant paradise that’s a haven for wildlife. 

Families are drawn to the woodland trails, the jungle rope bridge, and the expansive play meadow, but I find the living sculptures that emerge silently on a slow woodland walk the most interesting. The Mud Maid, Giant’s Head, and Grey Lady—all of which change with the seasons—seem to add life to the sheltered pathways. 

At the gift shop, I hear the man at the till telling a family that Tim Smit, the “man behind the Eden Project”, worked with an army of gardeners and volunteers to create this horticultural wonderland. 

The agenda for the next day is set: Eden Project, a dramatic global garden that’s now one of Cornwall’s top attractions. A sequence of eight interlinked transparent geodesic domes are nestled in the remains of a former clay pit—the size of 30 football pitches—and stand tall as an example of sustainable architecture and biomimicry. 

Aiming to demonstrate and inspire positive action for our planet, the Eden Project offers a chance to walk through the world's largest indoor rainforest, enjoy the sights and smells of the Mediterranean, and explore the expansive huge outdoor gardens. A quick Google search confirms my suspicions: the domes stood in for Gustav Graves’ ice palace in Die Another Day, with Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond driving his Aston Martin through one of them. 

Not far is St Austell Brewery, an independent, family-owned enterprise brewing beer in Cornwall since 1851. The visitor centre at the brewery, which began life as Walter Hicks Wine & Spirits, offers an experience that includes a showcase of the beer-making process and a tutored tasting.

I end most days in St Austell with a fresh seafood dinner and wake up early to mosey on the beach. The mind-clearing solitude of the seaside, the many woodland trails and paths to wander on—so much quiet that I can hear myself—and ample time to slow down and take a pause… St Austell isn’t the adventure-packed Cornwall I had read about; instead, it’s a place that lulls me into renewing and resetting.