Find My Activities

At the moment you’re seeing all our itinerary suggestions for a school trip to St Ives; to refine what you see please click the relevant filters. To save your search download a pdf and keep it on your desktop as a reference.

Please note that all prices are for guidance only and are subject to change. If you’d like more detail on anything do get in touch with the relevant supplier or email us on hello@stayatcohort.co.uk.

St Ives RNLI Lifeboat Station

Visit the St Ives RNLI Lifeboat station, just a few minutes walk from Cohort. Learn about the bravery and dedication of the RNLI, see the amazing lifeboat up close and learn about water safety as part of the RNLI’s mission to prevent their services being needed.

Their website is packed full of resources to take your learning back into the classroom or give your pupils a grounding before the visit.

The visit is free but we do encourage schools to think about bringing a donation along donating to the RNLI during the visit.

Free

Tintagel Castle

Break up your journey to or from St Ives and immerse yourself in history, myths and stunning scenery at Tintagel Castle (approx. hour from St Ives). Inextricably linked with the legend of King Arthur this dramatic coastline and castle needs to be seen to be believed.

Education is one of English Heritage’s core values and school groups are well supported whether visiting on a self-led basis or booking onto a workshop or tour.

Free for educational groups who book in advance

Walk to (or from) Zennor

From Cohort head over to the far end of Porthmeor Beach, follow the SW Coast Path out of St Ives towards Lands End. Over the bowling green and Man’s Head rock formation and keep going. Keep the sea on your right and you can’t get lost; eventually you reach a stone marker pointing you away from the coast path, it’s then a half a mile inland to reach the hamlet of Zennor where you can get the bus back to St Ives.

It’s a challenging 6.5 mile hike with lots of up and down on a narrow (occasionally uneven) path but it is 100% worth it for the views. Allow 4 – 5 hours, more if you want to stop and take photos / picnic.

Wear suitable footwear (hiking boots or trail running shoes) and only attempt with older students (14 years+).

Free

Walk to (or from) Lelant Saltings

Leave the hostel and head to Porthminster Beach. From the far end of the beach outside the restaurant pick up the SW Coast Path towards Lelant / Hayle. Follow it through Carbis Bay, over the dunes at Porthkidney Sands (dipping down the beach if you like) and on to St Uny Church where you can walk 1km of super quiet road / path to Lelant Saltings station.

Pick up the train to come back to St Ives (£1-2).

Allow 90 minutes with good walkers and no stopping or 3 hours for slower walkers with lots of stops.

Free

Self-led Beach Clean

Pick up leaflets and bags from staff at Cohort who will give you a quick introduction to beach cleaning and tell you what to look out for. Head down to one of our 5 amazing beaches for an hour of beach cleaning. It’s weirdly addictive and also hugely beneficial to the communities in St Ives.

Free

Heartlands

A 19 acre Cornish Mining Site Heartlands is a 20 minute drive from St Ives. The Camborne and Redruth area that surrounds Heartlands was designated World Heritage Site status in 2006 by UNESCO as part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.

Visit the Museum & Heritage centre as well as individual mines such as King Edward Mine and East Pool Mine to explore and investigate Cornwall’s Mining History.

For primary schools there is a fantastic adventure playground and interactive exhibits.

Free

Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden

Barbara Hepworth lived and worked in Trewyn studios – now the Barbara Hepworth Museum – from 1949 until her death in 1975. Following her wish to establish her home and studio as a museum of her work, Trewyn Studio and much of the artist’s work remaining there was given to the nation and placed in the care of the Tate Gallery in 1980.

Visit this amazingly peaceful place and wonder at the art still in the same position as the artist herself placed them in.

Free for U18s if booked as a group in advance

St Michael’s Mount

One of the most famous of Cornwall’s landmarks, St Michael’s Mount is situated in the village of Marazion – a 20 minute drive from St Ives. The mount is home to a small community, a stunning castle and gardens that would be the envy of a fairytale. The ‘castle on the rock’ dates back to 14th Century and is accessible by foot when the tide is out or by boat at other times.

Working with schools the learning programme at St Michael’s Mount is designed to engage children and young people in creative and collaborative experiences that bring the history of the island and its locality to life. Especially ideal for Cornish Schools where local history and culture is high priority on the curriculum.

This is an easy 1/2 day or full day out for your group – with tours available of the castle and gardens; or just explore on your own. Read more on their Schools & Learning page HERE.

Free for Cornish Schools OR (for out of county schools) Buy a National Trust Education Membership to access this site for free OR £7.50/student for visits to the castle.

Great Flat Lode

One of the world’s best conserved mining landscapes. The mines here closed around 1920. Since then the area has remained relatively undeveloped and it now contains some of Cornwall’s finest remains of engine houses, tin dressing floors and other mining structures.

The trail runs from 2 – 7 miles and is a 25 minute drive from St Ives.

Allow at least half a day for exploring, analysis or sketching.

Free

Sketch St Ives (self-led)

You’d be hard pushed to find a setting as picturesque as St Ives. From narrow, cobbled streets to breathtakingly beautiful seascapes. Whether your discipline is fine art, sculpture, graphic design or photography a good sketching session is a fantastic way to get to know St Ives and build foundation art skills.

If you don’t know the town and you’d like some help we can point out some great places to base your students which are both safe and offer phenomenal views.

Free

St Ives Archives

St Ives Archives, based in Carbis Bay (1 mile from St Ives) is a wealth of information about all things St Ives. For those studying art history within St Ives or those who would like some context for the town it’s a worthwhile visit.

Visits are by appointment only and suitable for no more than 2 or 3 people at a time.

Free

Beach Clean with Beach Guardian

Beach Guardian, an award winning social enterprise, aims to engage, educate and empower against plastic pollution. They can organise an engaging session on the beach where the group will not only clean but learn what plastics to look for, why they are so dangerous, where they have come from and what they can do when they leave St Ives.

Suitable for all ages.

Free

Ben Nicholson Walking Tour (self-led)

Ben Nicholson (1894–1982) was one of the most radical British artists of the twentieth century and has long been recognised as a leading exponent of the modern movement in Britain.

This multimedia walking tour takes you through St Ives, connecting places and spaces in and around the town to Nicholson, his work and his life.

Free

Newlyn Art Gallery & Exchange

Newlyn Art Gallery exists because of a long history of art making in West Cornwall; now Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange offers a wide and varied exhibition programme across the two sites. Groups are welcome to organise self-led visits and a member of the learning team will meet the group on arrival and provide them with an introduction to the gallery and exhibition.

Free for U18s if booked as a group in advance

Suez Recycling Centre

Cornwall Energy Recovery bring an innovative solution to the management of Cornwall’s waste and recycling. They boost recycling, composting and re-use and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. Visitor centres at St Austell and Bodmin (both an hour’s drive from St Ives) offer students a unique insight into waste management strategies, offering opportunities to investigate sustainability, energy and resource management topics.

Great for students of all ages as visits can be customised to meet learning outcomes and linked to KS3 and GCSE topics.

Free

Falmouth University Activities

Falmouth University’s School & College Partnerships Programme is designed to support high quality creative provision in schools and colleges by offering a range of activities to inform and support students regarding their progression both into Higher Education and a creative career.

Falmouth University are able to offer you a fantastic day filled with:

  • Presentations, advice & guidance
  • Guest lectures, masterclasses and workshops across a wide variety of creative disciplines including Animation, Film, Photography, Fine Art, Textiles, Print Making, Fashion, Theatre & Dance, Gaming, Architecture, Event Management, Sustainable Festival Management, Sustainable Tourism Management, Interior Design and Sustainable Product Design
  • Campus tours

All activities can be linked to Gatsby benchmarking.

With phenomenal facilities and a superb, global reputation Falmouth University will not only enrich your trip itinerary through workshops they can provide, they will also offer your students a unique insight into university life.

It’s an inspirational day out and will cost you nothing!

Duration: 10am – 2/3pm. Group size <60. Suitable for Y10+.

Free

Tate St Ives

Discover the magic of Tate St Ives, where art meets stunning coastal views. Immerse yourself in both the current exhibition and the permanent collection of St Ives Artists, including works by renowned painters such as Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson.

School groups of all ages can explore this amazing space independently or with a Tate gallery guide, discovering the stories behind the artworks and the artists who created them.

After recently undergoing a transformative renovation, Tate St Ives has earned its place on the international art scene, making it a must-visit destination for everyone. Located on the site of the old gas works in St Ives, this gallery boasts one of the most beautiful settings in the world.

Open year-round (except for November-February when closed on Mondays), a trip to St Ives simply isn’t complete without a visit to Tate St Ives.

The visit for students under 19 is always free however they do offer a number of paid-for workshops, view / download the options HERE.

Free for U19s if booked as a group in advance. Pay £8.50/staff member (free for Cornish schools staff)

Hayle Towans

The Towans, Cornish for dunes, mainly comprise broken-down seashells which have been blown onshore. They are calcareous and support lime-loving plants rarely found in Cornwall, which is predominantly made up of acidic granite.

It is the richest botanical site west of the River Fal, supporting a quarter of all the plant species ever recorded in Cornwall.

A great example of sand dune succession and an opportunity to investigate primary, secondary and tertiary dune bio-diversity for KS2 & KS3 geography topics.

Free

Land’s End

Visit the most westerly point in the UK and see the iconic signpost – a legendary Cornish icon.

The Land’s End Peninsula was formed around 270 million years ago producing magnificent cliffs which are of national significance.

For a great (and easy) walk park at Sennen Cove (a beautiful fishing village in its own right) and walk the mile to Land’s End to appreciate the coastal scenery in all its glory.

Free

Penlee House Gallery & Museum

Built in 1865 and set in the grounds of a sub-tropical garden in Penzance. Penlee House is home to many paintings by members of the Newlyn School. A programme of changing exhibitions celebrates the skill and craftsmanship of painting in west Cornwall in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They offer introductory talks for all school visits (free) and can organise workshops based on your themes and the National Curriculum. Penzance is a 30 minute bus / 20 minute coach ride from St Ives.

Free (small charge for workshops)