Charlestown

Charlestown was a Georgian 'new town', a port development planned by local landowner Charles Rashleigh 1747-1825 and after whom it was named. He was one of a group of three local entrepreneurs who saw the need to build a mineral port and harbour along the south Cornish coast near St. Austell. It was built between 1790 and 1810 for the export of copper and china clay, with the harbour designed by John Smeaton. It still retains some of its early grandeur and remains as the best preserved china-clay and copper ore port, for its period, in the world.

Throughout the nineteenth century the little dock was packed with ships and the harbourside sheds and warehouses thronged with complementary businesses: boatbuilding, ropemaking, brickworks, lime burning, net houses, bark houses and pilchard curing.

Formerly known as West Polmear, Charlestown lies just over two miles southeast of St. Austell, just east of Du Porth and west of Carlyon Bay. Charlestown harbour is used by several local fishermen, with the harbour and two beaches owned by Square Sail who operate a small fleet of tall ships, including Kaskelot. One or two of these can often be found at anchor in the harbour, and are frequently open for tours during the summer months.

Charlestown harbour has several times been disguised as other historic ports, such as Bristol Harbour, for film and television productions. For example, it has starred in Poldark, an adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion and films such as the 1993 version of The Three Musketeers. The sequence set in Alderney in the film The Eagle Has Landed was filmed in and around the harbour and the adjacent beach. The famous Heart Of The Ocean necklace from the 1997 film Titanic resides at the town's National Shipwreck Museum.

Accommodation

B & Bs

Sunnycroft Guest House (2 km)

Higher Kestle Farm (9 km)

Coombe Farm (9 km)

Cottages

Pippins Apartment, sleeps 2, Mevagissey (9 km)

Fleetings End, sleeps 6, Fowey (9 km)

Cosy Cottage, sleeps 4 , Bodmin (4 km)

The Sail Loft, sleeps 2-4, Fowey (9 km)

The Old Barbers, sleeps 4, Mevagissey (9 km)

Puffin Burrow, sleeps 2, Mevagissey (8 km)

Netmaker's Cottage, sleeps 5, Mevagissey (9 km)

Lowenna, sleeps 5, Mevagissey (9 km)

Poppy Cottage, sleeps 4, St Austell (2 km)

Cobs Cottage, sleeps 4, Mevagissey (9 km)

Morwenna, sleeps 8, Mevagissey (9 km)

Great Prideaux Barn, sleeps 5, St Blazey (4 km)

Golf holidays

Carlyon Bay (2 km)

Holiday Parks

Willow Lodge, sleeps 4 (9 km)

Woodpecker WF, sleeps 5 (9 km)

Eden Bungalow, sleeps 4 (9 km)

Willow Lodge Plus, sleeps 4 (9 km)

Kingfisher, sleeps 6 (9 km)

Kestrel, sleeps 8 (9 km)

Swallow Deluxe, sleeps 6 (9 km)

Woodpecker, sleeps 8 (9 km)

Swallow, sleeps 6 (9 km)

Local hotels

Boscundle Manor Hotel (2 km)

The Fowey Hotel (9 km)

Beeches Hotel & Elemis Day Spa (2 km)

Porth Avallen Hotel (2 km)

Cliff Head Hotel (2 km)

Trevalsa Court Country House Hotel & Restaurant (7 km)

The Port (3 km)

King of Prussia (9 km)

The Fowey Hotel (9 km)

Carlyon Bay Hotel (2 km)

Sea Breeze (2 km)

Marina Villa Hotel and Restaurant (9 km)

Lower Barn (9 km)

Chandlers Marina Apartment (9 km)

Boscundle Manor (3 km)

The Victoria Inn (9 km)

Wisteria Lodge Hotel & Country Spa (2 km)

The Old Quay House Hotel (9 km)

Local attractions

Beaches

Portmellon (8 km)

Polstreath (7 km)

Portgiskey (6 km)

Pentewan (5 km)

Hallane (3 km)

Porth Pean (1 km)

Du Porth (0 km)

Polmear Beach, Charlestown (0 km)

Crinnis Beach, Carlyon Bay (2 km)

Spit Beach (4 km)

Par Sands (5 km)

Polkerris (5 km)

Polridmouth (7 km)

Readymoney (8 km)

Whitehouse Beach (8 km)

Polruan Quay Beach (9 km)

Nearby gardens

Eden Project (3 km)

Heligan (6 km)

Caerhays Castle Gardens (9 km)

Pine Lodge Gardens (2 km)

Pubs

Bugle Inn (9 km)

Sawles Arms (6 km)

Rashleigh Arms (2 km)

King of Prussia (9 km)

Lugger Inn (9 km)

Safe Harbour Hotel (8 km)

Ship Inn (9 km)

Fountain Inn (9 km)

Sharksfin (7 km)

Ship Inn (7 km)

Grenville Arms (9 km)

Par Inn (4 km)

Welcome Home (4 km)

Ship Inn (9 km)

Polgooth Inn (9 km)

Lugger Inn (9 km)

Russell Inn (9 km)

Victoria Inn and Lodge (9 km)

Carlyon Arms (2 km)

Duke of Cornwall (2 km)

Holmbush Inn (2 km)

Hop & Vine Steak House (2 km)

Seven Stars (2 km)

Western Inn (2 km)

White Hart (2 km)

William Cookworthy (2 km)

Cornish Arms (4 km)

Four Lords (4 km)

Crown Inn (9 km)

Kings Arms (9 km)

Queens Head (9 km)

Hewas Inn (9 km)

New Inn (4 km)

The Harbour Tavern (7 km)

The Royal Inn (5 km)

St Austell Brewery Visitor Center (3 km)

Local walks

Dodman Point to Gorran Haven (10 km)

Gorran Haven to Mevagissey (9 km)

Mevagissey to Trenarren (5 km)

Silvermine Point to Carlyon Bay (8 km)

Carlyon Bay to Polkerris via Par (4 km)

Polkerris to Fowey via P'ridmouth (6 km)