Lelant

Cornwall Information & Accommodation Guide

Lelant is a charming village and parish situated on the west of the Hayle River between Hayle and St Ives, with excellent views up the river towards Hayle and fine views of the Hayle estuary.

The village is the gateway to the beautiful and expansive Porthkidney Beach


Famous Men and Women.

Lelant is the birthplace of author, Rosamunde Pilcher, famous for her novels including "The Shell Seekers". Rosamunde Pilcher was born in 1924 and died at the age of 94. Over 100 of her stories have been dramatised for TV by German ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen) with most of their filming taking place in locations around Cornwall.


St Uny Church, Lelant

An appeal has been launched for St Uny Church which is in need of urgent repair.
The Grade I listed building is located at the start of the St Michael's Way & is the only British start of Camino de Santiago - making it a historically significant building.

Parts of the building are now falling into disrepair and urgent work is required to restore it and transform it into a community hub, accessible to all.

The church tower roof is badly leaking and needs very urgent repair. Extensive damage has been caused to the bell frame and parts of the tiled floor are badly damaged and unsafe and the whole floor needs replacing.

The Church also currently has no disabled access, and bathroom facilities are located outside and a distance from the church itself. It is therefore necessary to create disabled access and proper facilities so that everyone is able to access and use the church.

If you can help with a donation, please visit their page on JustGiving


The Friends of St. Uny Heritage

You can also choose to become a 'Friend of St. Uny Heritage' and sponsor a foundation block/s at £6 per 3 months per block, a lovely way to help keep this beautiful Church open for future generations to enjoy.

Leaflets are available in the Church and are available to download here.


Living Churchyards

In the beautiful living churchyard across the footpath from the church, bluebells, cowslips and primroses blanket the ground in spring.

The Lelant Heritage Centre and Cafe is located in the churchyard and is a great place to stop for tea, coffee and homemade cakes. The Centre also offers a free exhibition of local history and access to reference books about the area.

Some books of local interest are for sale and there are a range of donated novels and non fiction books to purchase so if you're off to Porthkidney Beach to relax on the sands and enjoy the stunning view of the Hayle River, Hayle Towans, Godrevy and St Ives, and you want to buy something to read then why not drop in.

St Uny Heritage Centre opens in the spring through to the end of October, on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 11am and 4pm.


Lelant in History

In the twelfth century the area was named Lanata, meaning 'Church site of Anta'. Little is known about this saint except that she had a chapel on the rocks at the entrance to Hayle River.

The village was an important port in the 1300s prior to the port of St Ives becoming established. At this time the Hayle River had a deep channel and was navigable by larger vessels than it is today.

The parish church of St Uny at Lelant is beautifully situated with magnificent views of the Hayle River. This was also the parish church for St Ives until 1826 and the mother church of Carbis Bay and Towednack. The church dates from the early 1400s and still retains part of an original Norman arcade and has a Norman font.

Saint Uny/Euny was important in this area of Cornwall, five parishes are named after him.

Lelant, written as Ewny Lanaunt in the Subsidy Roll of 1524, was the centre of his missionary work. Uny Lelant Church originally contained the Saint's tomb.

The old manor house of Trevethoe survives but is privately owned and not open to the public. The Praed family, whose memorials can be viewed in the church, lived here. They are famous for their association with the Grand Union Canal and a street in London is named after the banker, William Praed. The house features in a window in the church.

Another building of great age and interest is The Abbey which was owned by the Priory of St Michael's Mount and used as a resting place for the monks of the order.

Lelant Saltings are a popular haunt for bird watching and numerous species of waders can be observed on the reserve. A hide is available overlooking the saltings bird reserve near Quay House.


The information below has been supplied by Keith Rashleigh


World famous Golfer “Long” Jim Barnes was born in Lelant. He was the first ever winner of the U.S. P.G.A. and won it again the following year. He also won the British Open (The Open)at Prestwick (Scotland).

Having spent a large part of his life in America he was also famous for returning to the challenging West Cornwall Golf Club in Lelant in the 1950s and played an exhibition game where he went around the course in level par using JUST ONE CLUB!

You can check him out on Wikipedia etc for extra details.

Memorabilia of him is inside the golf club house.

Location:
Located in West Cornwall, Lelant on the A3074 between Hayle and St Ives.
IntoCornwall Area Map Land's End Peninsula

Road directions to Lelant

Books online:
Click here to buy books online about Lelant

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Appeal for St Uny Church, Lelant