Figure 1.--For St. Ives, the coming of the railway was especually important (1877). It went from being a relatively poor fishing village to a fashionable holiday destination. People in London could reach St. Ives in a few hours when traveling by rail. St. Ives and Cornwall boasts Britain's mildest climate, There are wonderfull broad beaches that children enjoy, perfect for building sand castles. This photo postcard shows fishing boats and boys playing along the beach at St. Ives in the 1900s. The card was posted in 1907. Two of the boats are numbered SS527 and SS519.

Corwall was a source of tin in the ancient world, a vital ingredientb in making bronze. We do not known what part iof any St. Ives was involved, but there were maritime conndections with theMediterranean world. St. Ives first appears in history With the legdend of St. Ia or Hya. She was an Irish princess who introduced Christianity to Corwall (5th century AD). King Edward I granted St Ives a charter (1295). St Ives was an isolated fisjing village in southestern England for most of its history. It was accessable mostly by sea because of the poor roads in England. This how destinctive dialects and accents survived in Corrwall and other places. This only changed with the coming of the railway. The Great Western Railway began running its Broad Gauge trains on a new branch line (1877). This greatly increased the accessibility of the people in Cornwall to the rest of England. For St. Ives, the development was especually important. It went from being a relatively poor fishing village to a fashionable holiday destination. People in London could reach St. Ives in a few hours when traveling by rail. The area becane known as the Cornish Riviera. A reader tells us, "There was a special express train from Waterloo called 'The Cornish Express'. I remember catching it as a boy with my family From Manchester. It took all blooming day to get there. Once at Portsmouth the train journey is especial fun for children. The line runs along the sea shore and its the wonder of the journey." St Ives continues to be popular. St Ives was won the 'Seaside Town of the Year' in the annual Guardian contest (2007). St. Ives and Cornwall boasts Britain's mildest climate, There are wonderfull broad beaches that children enjoy, perfect for building sand castles.

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Created: 11:48 PM 11/5/2011
Last updated: 7:09 AM 11/6/2011