St Hilary: Discover Church, Art and Landscape

St Hilary is a rewarding destination for travellers who want to combine cultural history and landscape. At its heart is the Church of Saint Hilary, with its 13th-century tower. The rest of the building was rebuilt in 1855 by William White after a fire in 1853. This architectural history alone makes the place interesting: at the church, medieval origins and later renewal can be discovered together.

Church, Art and Local History

Directly next to St Hilary Church is the restored Old Church House. It houses a Heritage Centre with exhibitions on the history and art of the church, as well as on local genealogy. The Centre also presents St Hilary’s historical connections with St Michael’s Mount. Anyone who enjoys enriching a trip with specific stories and regional traces will find several starting points here for a cultural day out.

The church’s artistic side is closely associated with the Newlyn School. In the 1920s, artists from this school helped decorate the church; there are also close connections between St Hilary Church and the artists of the Newlyn School. Particularly characteristic are the uniquely painted choir stalls and rood screens, depicting legends of Cornish saints. The church also contains a Roman inscribed stone. Thus, different historical periods meet in one place, from the Roman inscription and medieval ecclesiastical architecture to the art history of the 20th century.

Broadcasting history is also part of St Hilary’s distinctive story. In 1926, the BBC broadcast Bernard Walke’s parish play Bethlehem live from St Hilary. This was the BBC’s first outside broadcast. When planning your trip, this historical connection may be an additional reason to consider the site’s cultural history not only through its buildings, but also through its surprising connections.

Landscape between St Ives Bay and Mount’s Bay

St Hilary Church stands on high ground between St Ives Bay and Mount’s Bay. The southern part of St Hilary Parish includes the areas south of the A394, extending down to Prussia Cove and Cudden Point. This area is designated as part of the Cornwall National Landscape. For orientation, it is useful to distinguish the individual landscape designations precisely: the County Wildlife Site there encompasses the headland of Cudden Point, which is designated as a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The coastal section within the Cornwall National Landscape at St Hilary is also designated County Wildlife Site P3.1 “Prussia Cove to Stackhouse Cove”.

Walking and Special Places to Visit

For active days, the St Hilary and Hayle Valley circular walk is a worthwhile part of a trip in its own right. The route has exclusively grid-like Coffin Stiles. You should take this specific feature into account when planning your day if you would like to include the walk in your trip. Along the way, there is also an opportunity to visit Guy’s Butterfly House by prior booking. The route therefore combines a walk with a special place to visit, but you should not plan the visit spontaneously.

The Right Accommodation for Your Plans

When looking for a holiday apartment in St Hilary, it helps to first decide on the main focus of your stay. If the trip is to centre mainly on the church, art and regional history, you can make a visit to St Hilary Church and the Heritage Centre the focus. For a more active stay, you could also consider the circular walk and the designated landscape areas around Prussia Cove and Cudden Point. When choosing your accommodation, consider which of these experiences will shape your stay and how you would like to divide your days between culture and landscape.

For further orientation, you can also look at Trelash, Landewednack, Gwinear, Rock, Ludgvan, Probus, Saint Eval and Porthcurno.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cornwall.