Mesmerising views and a painterly quality of light make it easy to understand why so many artists have chosen to call St Ives home
Mesmerising views and a painterly quality of light make it easy to understand why so many artists have chosen to call St Ives home
The views from this first-floor apartment in St Ives, Cornwall are ruggedly spectacular. The crashing waves lend a rhythmic backdrop to its bright living space, which is complete with original floorboards and a cosy log-burning stove. Pednolver Terrace sits the heart of the town, close to its sublime sandy beaches, local produce-serving restaurants and impressive cultural scene.
Setting the Scene
For many years, St Ives’ importance as a market town and fishing harbour ensured a continual chain of trade passing through the port, but in the 19th century, the area took root as a cultural hub for artists. Painters were attracted by the extraordinary clear quality of light and scenic subject matter. The area became internationally renowned for its ‘Plein Air’ style of painting, the St Ives modernist period and countless influential artists associated with the town.
From this apartment’s vantage point, it’s easy to see why; its rooms ring with sunlight, highlighting the tactile yet pared-back interiors and restorative colour palette (the latter was inspired by Barbara Hepworth’s St Ives studio). The apartment is on the middle floor of a tall Victorian stone-built terraced house and bears many of its era’s hallmarks, including tall ceilings, a wide bay window and beautiful pine floorboards. Its views are mesmerising, stretching unobstructed towards Godrevy Lighthouse – the unexpected inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s Hebridean novel ‘To The Lighthouse’ (1927).
The Grand Tour
Painted a sunshine-yellow colour, the building’s front door opens to a neat communal hallway and staircase. This apartment’s private entrance lies on the first floor and opens to the open-plan living space, with a row of handy coat hooks on one side.
The apartment’s breathtaking view greets on arrival; four windows – including three almost floor-to-ceiling sashes set within a large bay – capture the crashing waves and allow plenty of light in. There is a dining table is on one side and a sitting area adjacent. A log-burning stove at the far end warms on even the crispest of Cornish nights.
The U-shaped kitchen is tucked behind. Storage lies in both waist-height and wall-mounted cabinets and there is an induction hob/oven. Part of the countertop curves round to form a breakfast bar with space for two stools.
A pine door leads to the bedroom at the rear. Its white-washed finish is soothing and amplifies the northerly light (many an artist’s preference) that enters through a tall window. A nod to the building’s 19th-century heritage, cast-iron radiators have been added in both the bedroom and living spaces. A storage cupboard on one side provides hanging space and a neat shower room adjoins.
Out and About
The apartment is in a fantastic position in St Ives, an area that has long been associated with artists attracted by the evocative Atlantic light, the sea and the historic architecture, including its 20th-century school of sculptors, painters and ceramicists. As a result, St Ives has many galleries, from the Tate, the Penwith Gallery, the thoughtfully preserved Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, and Leach Pottery, as well as many smaller, independent galleries including New Craftsman Gallery and Anima Mundi.
The town is full of superb places to eat, including the newly opened wine bar and coffee shop St Eia, serving natural wines and small plates, Little Palais, which again offers low-intervention wine and cocktails, and tasty seafood at Porthmeor Beach Café. It also has a wealth of independent shops.
St Ives is also home to an array of beautiful beaches and rambling walks, including the Blue Flag Award-winning Porthminster Beach, Porthmeor, and a smaller cove on The Island, a stretch of headland crowned by a chapel and complete with fishing-themed tiles by Bernard Leach. The 630-mile South West Coast Path also runs through St Ives and offers wonderful walks in both directions. Heading west leads to the pretty village of Zennor and further to the Penwith peninsula. East leads towards Portreath and Newquay.
In terms of transport links, there are direct trains from Paddington to nearby St Erth in under five hours and another connecting train from there to St Ives in 10 minutes. The apartment is a short drive from many other popular parts of Cornwall, from the Helston River to Penzance and Falmouth, to name a few.
Tenure: Leasehold
Lease Length: Approx. 995 years remaining
Service Charge: N/A
Ground Rent: Approx. N/A
Council Tax Band: A
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