Barnoon Cemetery - A Place Of Rest With The Best View In Town!
I love Barnoon Cemetery. I walk through it most days on my way into town. If you walk through the little gate by the stooped pine tree and you will find a pathway through the field, brimming with flowers, palm trees and wildlife.
It bypasses the traffic going to Barnoon car park, especially in Summer and is a really peaceful place to walk and sit.
The View
The field and pathway over looks the cemetery, chapel and Porthmeor Beach. You really can't beat the view, it is stunning in all weathers, althought it can be a little wild in Winter! The bench up there is one of my favourites to stop and admire the scenery.
A Cemetery For All Seasons.
During Spring time when the grass grows (and hopefully doesn't get cut too soon by Cornwall Council), the field at the back of the cemetery grows some stunning wild flowers.
During late Summer, the hedges that line the path are a good place for picking blackberries. Leave some for us though!
During Autumn, the stooped pine tree drops some lovely pine cones. We like to collect a few to decorate for Christmas.
The Dog Poo Fairy Doesn't Visit Barnoon Cemetery
A word of warning, people use the Cemetery for walking their dogs, even though they shouldn't! And like everywhere these days, not everyone picks up their dog poo. Just keep your eyes peeled, especially if you are letting any kids run through there.
The Graves
The cemetery contains some historically interesting graves.
Alfred Wallis
Alfred Wallis, the fisherman turned painter is buried here. His grave is decorated with lovely ceramic tiles made by his good friend Bernard Leech (from The Leech Pottery).
SS Alba and Titantic
There are also graves of those lost in shipwrecks such as the SS Alba, the St Ives Lifeboat disaster in 1939 and Stephen Curnow and William Carbines who lost their lives on the Titanic.
The grave inscriptions are fascinating to read. There are so many local names, some who died tragically early. And those that lived a full and long life!
If you are looking for certain graves, all burials prior to those at Barnoon Cemetery (1857) were in the actual churchyards. All burials after Barnoon Cemetery became full were out at Longstone Cemetery in Carbis Bay.
Commonwealth War Graves
You will find Commonweath War graves here. There are a total of 34 people who lost their lives in WW1 and WW2 and you can find more details of them here >>
There is a much older section down the hill on the right. Lots of the inscriptions have been worn down with wind, salt and time.
Barnoon Chapel
The pathway down through the cemetery is steep and leads to two chapels of rest, arranged back to back, like mirror images of each other, each with a small bell-cote holding a single bell. It is now being used as a funeral directors.
Porthmeor House
If you follow the pathway down you will see the new (and slightly controversial) house which overlooks Porthmeor Beach. This made the papers with how eye wateringly expensive it was to buy!
Bottom Gate
At the bottom of this path you can turn left to the little gate at the bottom of Porthmeor Hill (sometimes locked) or right to the gate which leads to Porthmeor Beach and the Tate Gallery.
Barnoon Steps
If you go through this gate and look right, there are some VERY steep steps which takes you straight back up to Barnoon car park and Clodgy View.
Porthmeor Well
At the bottom of the cemetery on the corner of Porthmeor Hill is Venton Ia - or the well of St Ia. This is where the St Ives Feast Day procession comes to on the first Monday in February to receive a blessing. There is a gate at the bottom of the cemetery which leads onto Porthmeor.
Map Showing Barnoon Cemetery In St Ives
Have you read 101 Brilliant Things To Do In St Ives Cornwall?
It will give you so many ideas of things you can do on your next visit to our lovely town!
Have You Heard About Our St Ives Game?
If you like St Ives you will love playing it!
