Lelant: St Michael's Way, Coastal Landscapes and St Uny

Lelant is well suited to travel plans that combine walking trails, coastal landscapes and historic culture. The village lies at the beginning of St Michael's Way. Porth Kidney Sands is a one-mile-long golden-sand beach at the mouth of the Hayle Estuary. Ancient Cornish crosses stand at St Uny's Church, while the Church of St Uny also contains 12th-century remains in the Norman style. When choosing holiday accommodation in Lelant, you can therefore consider whether the focus of your trip should be on a longer route, individual walking stages, the beach or cultural discoveries.

Along St Michael's Way from Lelant to Marazion

St Michael's Way begins in Lelant, near St Ives, and leads to Marazion, near Penzance. The route is 12.5 miles or 19.5 km long. If you are planning to make the route the central experience of your trip, you should take this distance into account when planning your days and overall journey. The route is signposted and marked in both directions with a stylised scallop-shell symbol.

Its history gives the route a special cultural dimension: St Michael's Way was presumably associated with pilgrims, missionaries and travellers, particularly from Ireland and Wales, who wanted to avoid the dangerous waters around Land's End. In addition, the section of the South West Coast Path from Hayle to St Ives between Lelant and Marazion follows part of the old pilgrimage route of St Michael's Way.

For a shorter walking plan, there is a moderate 4.5-mile or 7.2-km route connecting Lelant Station with St Ives. This allows you to choose between the longer pilgrimage route and a shorter stretch, without equating the two routes in terms of length or character.

Porth Kidney Sands and practical information

Porth Kidney Sands offers a different perspective on the landscape. The beach is one mile long, consists of golden sand and is bordered by rolling sand dunes at the mouth of the Hayle Estuary. At low tide, Porth Kidney Sands extends almost a mile into St Ives Bay. For visitors who would like to include the beach in their plans, access is also important: Porth Kidney Sands can be reached on foot via the South West Coast Path from St Uny Church or Lelant Railway Station, with the access route including steps. There is no car park in the immediate vicinity of Porth Kidney Beach.

Church of St Uny as a cultural highlight

Ancient Cornish crosses stand at St Uny's Church. The Church of St Uny also contains 12th-century remains in the Norman style and was restored by J. D. Sedding in 1872–1873. Those interested in regional history, ecclesiastical architecture and Cornish symbols can plan this site as a cultural highlight alongside their walks. St Uny welcomes walkers and cyclists.

The right location for your travel plans

When looking for accommodation in Lelant, you can weigh up whether you would like to combine walking, the beach and culture, and what role travelling by train plays in your personal plans.

Travelling by train is also one of the practical considerations: to travel to Lelant, change at St Erth for a train to the stations on the line to St Ives; Lelant is one of these stations. When searching for accommodation, you can therefore take into account not only your preferred focus for the experience but also your personal travel arrangements.

Other places for your travel plans

If you would like to continue your research beyond Lelant, you can find the pages for Redruth, Egloskerry, Bodmin, Gerrans, Liskeard, Fowey, Mylor and Leedstown here.

For the overarching travel overview: Cornwall.