St Germans and the Surrounding Area
THE VILLAGE
St Germans is a small village with a population of 600. It has a Post Office, a well
stocked general store and the village pub, The Eliot Arms has Cornish ales and serves excellent food.
There is also a childrens playpark and a small
football pitch in the village.
The quay, with the viaduct towering above it and
its sailing club, is a popular spot. The old part of the village,
which includes the railway station, is virtually unspoilt and has
been made a Conservation Area. There is a row of alms houses built during the reign
of Queen Elizabeth I and a terrace of former police houses complete with cells
built in the 1800's. St Germans and the Lyner Estuary
have been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and
offer, in addition to the scenery, excellent opportunities for
walking, bird watching, fishing and sailing. The village has a parish church and methodist chapel. St Germans Rail Users Group is a voluntary group established to give users a voice, to improve the service and facilities and to encourage use of the line.
The development of St Germans has been strongly
influenced by the Port Eliot estate which adjoins the village on the northern side.
The Norman parish church, formerly the cathedral of Cornwall
and Port Eliot house are built on the site of an ancient
priory.
PORT ELIOT HOUSE AND ESTATE

Port Eliot house and grounds open to the public for the first time in 2008. Home to the Earl and Countess of St Germans, the house is one of the most magical and hidden stately homes in England. The Grade 1 listed house dates back as far as the 5th Century and was substantially altered by Sir John Soane at the turn of the 19th Century. The Eliots have lived at Port Eliot since the 16th Century and Peregrine St Germans is the 10th Earl of St Germans.
From March 1st to June 8th you'll not only have full access to the park and gardens, but you'll be able to tour the house's ground floor reception rooms, including the famous Round Room which boasts a 40ft mural by Robert Lenkiewicz. Covering the entire wall of the round room, the mural is in two halves, one side depicting death, destruction, insanity, unrequited love, and the apocalyptic end of the world, whilst the other reflects love, affection, friendship, harmony, proportion and consensus. Lenkiewicz called this work "The Riddle Mural" as concealed within the picture are various references to family skeletons, art history and cabalistic mysteries. Port Eliot also houses several masterpieces by Sir Joshua Reynolds, including one if his important early works, Group Portait of the Eliot Family, painted in 1746. Works of art by Romney, Ramsey, Van Dyck and many of the Dutch Old Masters can also be seen as well as interesting pieces of museum quality furniture, including an early Boule armoire.
On Wednesdays dog lovers can bring their pets to roam free in the park, a rarity in such landscapes. At other times dogs are welcome but must be kept on their leads at all times.
ST GERMANS
As a touring centre, St Germans is well postitioned, with good rail connections and only 2 miles from the A38 main road. Close by are the south coast beaches, fishing villages (including Looe and Polperro), Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor, Plymouth city centre (15 minutes by train, crossing Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge) and the preserved railways of the Bodmin and Wenford and the South Devon Railway. The beautiful, Network Rail owned, Tamar Valley Line and the Looe Valley Line are only minutes away.![]() |
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| If you enjoy walking or fishing and to see what else Cornwall has to offer click here for the "Things to do" page |
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(PT) - easy by public transport
- twin coastal villages where cottages
cluster around a small quay. It is a pleasant 2 mile walk
from Cawsand, west along the coast path to Rame Head. On
the way, just as the path emerges from the trees and set
into the cliffs are the remains of a small church. From
here are visible Trinity House buildings that contain a
fog horn. From Rame Head it is possible to return to
Cawsand by the lanes, passing Rame Parish Church on the
way. LOOE (PT)
East and West Looe face each other across the combined estuary of two rivers and are joined by a broad seven arched bridge and by a small passenger ferry closer to the sea. It was formerly a pilchard fishing community and fishing is still a major industry . However, the arrival of the railway in 1859 brought the first wave of summer visitors and tourism is now the towns mainstay. There is plenty of character left though, with a labyrinth of narrow streets and courtyards in the old quarter of East Looe sandwiched between the still active fish quay on one side and the sea front with its small beach. Fishing and pleasure boat trips can be booked at the fish quay. There is a plethora of places to eat in Looe, many of them specialising in locally caught fish.
A popular coastal walk is from West Looe to Polperro. Polperro is an old fishing village, now largely dependant on tourism but still attractive never the less. There is a return bus service which leaves from the Crumplehorn pub in Polperro for Looe.
SALTASH (PT)
Saltash is a very old town which came to prominance because the relative narrowness of the Tamar river at this point made it a crossing point. Consequently much trade passed through the town.
PLYMOUTH (PT)
Plymouth is only 15 minutes away by train along what must be one of the most beautiful stretches of line in the country, culminating with crossing the Tamar on Brunels famous Royal Albert Bridge.
The sea has played a prominant role in the cities history. Its position at the mouth of the Tamar estuary affording it deep, sheltered waters. The naval dockyard of Devonport was established here and is still a major employer. The city center has been largely pedestrianised and has all the major names as well as smaller specialist shops.
TAMAR VALLEY
The Tamar estuary and river forms the border between Devon and Cornwall. The twice daily tidal influx of warm seawater up the estuary and the shelter afforded by the valley gives the area an exceptionally mild climate. For this reason horticulture has always been the major industry. The upper reaches of the estuary were extensively used for transporting minerals from the surrounding mines. The mudflats bordering the estuary are home to vast quantities of birds.
At 365 square miles, this is a vast area of granite tors, bog, heather and gorse offering fine walking and views.
Much smaller than Dartmoor but just as cabable of instilling a feeling of isolation, there are many fine walks and it is easy to drop down into one of the surrounding village pubs for refreshment.
LISKEARD (PT)
The town owes its past prosperity to the local mining industry and this is reflected in the grandier of the buildings. It is also a market town and still retains the cattle market at its center. The major banks are represented here as are some highstreet names and also some shops of character.
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