4 Best Sights in St. Ives, The West Country

The most spectacular branch of the renowned London gallery displays the work of artists who lived and worked in St. Ives, mostly from 1925 to 1975. The collection occupies a modernist building—a fantasia of seaside art deco–period architecture with panoramic views of the rippling ocean. Works of other international artists who influenced the St. Ives school—Picasso, Braque, and Mondrian among them—are exhibited alongside the local figures, and there are frequent exhibitions of contemporary art connected to West Cornwall. A four-story extension has significantly increased the exhibition space, and the rooftop café provides excellent food and views.

The studio and garden of Dame Barbara Hepworth (1903–75), who pioneered abstract sculpture in England, are now a museum and sculpture garden, managed by Tate St. Ives. The artist lived here for 26 years, before her death in an accidental studio fire.

The winding B3306 coastal road southwest from St. Ives passes through some of Cornwall's starkest yet most beautiful countryside. Barren hills crisscrossed by low stone walls drop abruptly to granite cliffs and wide bays. Evidence of the ancient tin-mining industry is everywhere. Now a fascinating mining heritage center, the early-20th-century Geevor Tin Mine employed 400 men, but in 1985 the collapse of the world tin market wiped Cornwall from the mining map. Wear sturdy footwear for the surface and underground tours. A museum, shop, and café are at the site.

Local artists display selections of their current work for sale at this gallery in the former Mariners' Church. The Crypt Gallery in the basement is used for private exhibitions.