Fun in St Austell and the Eden Project

December 5, 2005 11:57 AM

Should my girlfriend and I drive to The Eden Project this weekend? And what to see and do in St Austell?

We intend to depart on Friday morning, and drive from Egham (just outside London). The drive will last probably 5 hrs 30 mins - there doesn't appear to be a direct train coming back, so we'll have to drive. We're thinking that we should book Friday and Saturday nights in a B&B in St Austell, visit the Eden Project, and maybe do some walking around the local area.

Any flaws in the plan? Anyone been to the Eden Project? Anything we should see or avoid in the St Austell area?

posted by ajp to sports, hobbies, & recreation (11 comments total)

The Eden Project is definitely worth a visit, though I'm not sure it merits an 11-hour return trip alone. I don't recall much about St Austell itself, but the coastline around there is beautiful.
posted by cbrody at 12:18 PM on December 5, 2005

I'd recommend it - we also had a good time at the gardens of Heligan. We had time to kill and ended up dropping into various seaside towns on the south coast near to where we were, and ended up bumping into various goings on such as summer fairs. Different time of year, but who knows - you might find a Christmas fair!

Back to the Eden Project, certainly an entire day out in my opinion if the weather holds off. The whole thing is in a bit of a bowl and so you don't get the full force of the wind - although its always lovely and warm inside the biomes!
posted by samstarling at 12:19 PM on December 5, 2005

As a really cool way to learn about the role of plants in society, Eden is totally worth it. Friends who have gone expecting a jaw-dropping spectacle have been disappointed. If you go anticipating a fun learning experience that comes wrapped up in a very impressive structure you'll have a better time.

My wife and I really liked this restaurant not far from St Austell. It is expensive but worth it.
posted by teleskiving at 1:09 PM on December 5, 2005

st ives and the entire Cornish coast are superb for views, pub food, walking, bird watching, seal gazing. Even when its raining and windy. Trains go Penzance to London on a regualar basis. In my experience journeys would be a bit longer than 5 1/2hrs but if you staying for a weekend it's well worth it.
posted by takeyourmedicine at 1:19 PM on December 5, 2005

No flaws that I can see. The Eden Project is worth a visit (I agree it's good but not astounding) and that part of the country is generally lovely. In particular, the coastal path in that area is excellent, though I've only walked it in the summer.

Driving should be fine - the roads can be a bit congested on Sundays but should be ok given the time of year. Do try to stop at Stonehenge on the way there or back (if you were planning on going down the A303)
posted by patricio at 1:21 PM on December 5, 2005

This weekend - are you crazy? Despite the domes, most of Eden is out of doors. I'd recommend you do it on a spring or summer day to really enjoy what they have to offer.

There are a couple of great B&Bs that are a stone's throw from the biomes and can be reached via a footpath. Alternatively you can stay by the coast and enjoy a dip in the sea then drive the short journey to the Project.
posted by skylar at 3:56 PM on December 5, 2005

I went there a few years back. The Eden Project itself is really good, but I wouldn't say it's a whole day. Round St. Austell itself, we found surprisingly little of interest, given that the day was not really condusive to walking. Places like Bodmin and Newquay are probably of more interest.
posted by salmacis at 1:25 AM on December 6, 2005

St Austell itself is a bit of shithole, that part of Cornwall is a bit post-industrial, along with the strip down the centre (i.e. around the A30). (Eden is part of the regeneration efforts for the county) There are far nicer places within 30 minutes drive, I think Looe, Fowey (pronounced Foy) and Mevagissey are all supposed to be nice, certainly the stretch of coast from Mevagissey down to St Anthony's head (with the Fraggle Rock lighthouse!) is very pretty and with plenty of guesthouses/B&Bs with vacancies at the moment. There's also Bodmin Moor. The North coast is also very attractive from Padstow westwards, a bit more rugged than the south coast. If you want to try something a bit different you could get out and do some bodyboarding or swell boarding, you can hire a board and wetsuit at quite a few places and the water isn't nearly as bad as you think it will be once you're suited up!

If you do get up to the North Coast I would recommend St Agnes. Port Isaac is also supposed to be very pretty. Stay away from Newquay, it's a grim chav-ridden dump. Perranporth is also not desperately nice, but there are lots of little villages that are worthwhile, on both coasts. If the weather is good then there is a walkable path around the whole coast which is largely fantastic but be aware that the weather can be very changeable (and has been recently) and heavy rain can come in very quickly.

Bring a camera, you'll be sorry if you don't.

With regard to Eden, it should be fairly empty at this time of year. One attraction that no-one has yet mentioned is that Eden has a large ice rink set up for the winter. The Guardian recently rated it as one of the top five rinks in the country, so be prepared for a bit of skating. You can hire skates at the project for an extra £4 per person. We've been meaning to do this for weeks but haven't got round to it as yet so can't give you an eyewitness account.

If you want to see Gardens, then Trelissick might be worth a visit, it's a bit south of Truro so a bit further on than St. Austell but good National Trust maintained grounds and they have a Cornish Craft and Food Fair this weekend.

Travel: There are 2 direct trains from Paddington to St. Austell this Friday night, one leaves at 18.03, arriving at 22.10, the next leaves at 19.03 and arrives at 23.18. (There's also one at 16.05 arriving at 20.17). Alternatively, there's a direct train Saturday morning leaving at 7.15 that will get you to St. Austell just after 12. This bus connects from the station to the Eden project, but doesn't run after teatime. It also connects with Truro which might be a bit nicer than St. Austell but which isn't particularly stand out in itself. (Truro is also on the direct rail line from London).
You might well be better off with the car, they're pretty essential for getting around Cornwall, and will give you the chance to see a bit more of the county which makes sense after the trek down here.
posted by biffa at 3:59 AM on December 6, 2005

Depending on your geography, as an alternative - stay at the 'Plume Of Feathers' in Mitchell - Stunning rooms, Fabulous Food, and great service - Not a million miles off your course, and worth the visit.
posted by DrtyBlvd at 5:07 AM on December 6, 2005

The only thing I can add to this is that I think St Austell brewery's HSD beer is a superb brew. The brewery is a nice example of a relatively small old brewery, but probably isn't to everyone's tastes.

Mind, I was there about 3 years ago, so it's probably part of Green King by now... *sigh*
posted by twine42 at 5:22 AM on December 6, 2005

The St. Austell brewery is still going strong and, AFAIK, independently. Certainly you can still get HSD plus Tribute and their IPA in pubs across Cornwall. Personally I prefer Skinner's, another small local brewery based in Truro. I recommend their Knocker, Blonde, Heligan Honey and Figgy's Brew.
posted by biffa at 5:32 AM on December 6, 2005