St Erth is a tranquil village centred around a pretty church and with a small river running through it.
Dotted around the village are other ancient gems like the stone bridge which is at least 600 years old and the interesting Mediaeval lantern in the centre of the village near the Post Office. St Erth would have once been connected better to the sea by its river and its bridge the only way to cross the river for miles, but the building of the causeway at nearby Hayle put an end to this.
Various unchallenging but pretty walks can be had here. Walk along the St Erth river inland, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to catch the annual rubber duck race! A sign outside the pub indicated a circular walk which encompasses the nature reserve of St Erth Pits – old sandpits which have now been taken over by wildlife and support some semi-mature woods. The sand from here, known as Harvey’s Pits, would have been used in local foundries and also in pottery produced in by the renowned local artist Bernard Leach.
The village has one pub, the Star Inn, which dates back to the 17th century, and a railway station on the mainline between Penzance and Plymouth. The branch line to St Ives also stops at this old fashioned station.
