Easter in St.Ives

Easter Egg Hunts

It wouldn’t feel like Easter, if you didn’t take part in an Easter egg hunt, and there are plenty to choose from.

The National Trust egg hunts are always great fun, and have become a real Easter tradition for many families. Trengwainton Garden near Penzance is the closest one to St Ives, and there are also trails at Godolphin (near Helston), Trerice (near Newquay) and Glendurgan (“the one with the maze”). Take a look at the National Trust’s website for details of their Easter events in Cornwall.

Over in Hayle, Paradise Park is another good place for a fun family trail. Get ready to explore and meet colourful birds, while taking part in their World Explorer Quiz to collect a special reward badge.

Further afield, there’s an Easter Quest at Pendennis Castle in Falmouth for all you brave knights. The Eden Project is celebrating the joys of spring, with an immersive dragon egg trail, creative craft workshops and hands-on family activities.

Right here at Polmanter, we have a trail for your little ones to complete too. From Friday 3rd April, you’ll find a number of puzzles located around the site. Collect a set of clues and map from Reception to help find them, and once they’re all completed, bring them back to claim an Easter treat.

Easter Holiday Shows

We think that this year has to be the best yet for Easter theatre in Cornwall. A show from the unique Rogue Otherworld always kicks off the spring for us. Their wonderful Wild Awake production takes place in Tehidy Woods, where you follow the Wild Spring Hare along meandering paths on an immersive theatrical adventure. It runs between the 3rd and the 12th of April – please book as soon as you can, as a, it’s popular and b, you don’t want to miss this unique performance.

Sticking with the outdoor theme, there’s a family show on at The Minack over the holidays. Giants is the reimagining of the legend of Cormoran – the terrible giant of St Michael’s Mount. It’s packed full of songs and fun, perfect for an afternoon of family fun. Anything staged here is sure to be excellent, and as for the setting…

Moving back inside, St Ives’ own Kidz R Us is performing Madness musical Our House during both weeks of the Easter holidays, from Monday to Thursday. This production is a must-see, not only for the talented young performers, but also to experience the historic theatre space – it has a wonderful atmosphere.

Source: Rogue Theatre

Have a Creative Easter

Feeling inspired by all that amazing art in St Ives? Try your hand at something creative yourself this Easter, with a choice of crafty activities for families.

A great place to start is the Leach Pottery, where they’re running a lovely programme of hands-on Easter holiday workshops for families and children. It’s a chance to get stuck into clay, learn a new skill and create something to take home – all in a really relaxed, welcoming setting.

We also love St Ives School of Painting in Porthmeor Studios: take a look at their range of courses for younger artists. Never think that Tate St Ives is a “grown-up” place. It has a range of fabulous activities to encourage families to enjoy the gallery and for kids to explore art in a fun and age-appropriate way. Take a look at the Tate’s website to find out what’s on for families.

If you fancy an activity with a real seasonal theme, you can make your own delicious Easter gifts.  Book the family onto a chocolate-making workshop at I Should Coco where even toddlers are welcome to join in (wear old clothes and bring plenty of wipes!).

The best thing about these activities? They’re all here in St Ives.

Source: Leach Pottery

Explore West Cornwall

As well as these Easter activities, there’s plenty more to enjoy in West Cornwall at this time of year.

If you fancy exploring on foot, join the South West Coast Path for some stunning walks along the rugged Cornish coastline. Here over the Easter weekend? A family walk along the coast or in the countryside (with a hearty picnic, naturally), is a Cornish Good Friday tradition.

Alternatively, see the sights on two wheels. For the more adventurous, we’d recommend hiring from St Ives eBikes, so that you can cycle further and take on one of their West Cornwall routes. As a Polmanter guest, quote POLMANTER10 for a 10% discount.

Buses are also a great way of getting around. A Transport for Cornwall day ticket is currently £9 for adults, £5 for under 19s and £18 for a family ticket.  You can use on any bus across the county – it’s one, big joined-up network. There also savings for “town zone” travel, including St Ives.

However you decide to travel, check out more attractions close to Polmanter and further afield. You really won’t be stuck for ideas – come rain or shine!

Source: St Ives eBikes

Easter at Polmanter

Here on site, we’re looking forward to welcoming our Easter guests.

As we mentioned earlier, there’s an ongoing Easter trail available across the site, which families can do at any time during their hols. Pop into Reception to pick up the trail’s map and clues to get started.

There’s also Easter egg drawing competition. Draw, colour, paint… we want to see your best Easter egg creations! Collect a sheet of paper from Reception with the outline of an Easter egg, and once you’ve completed your masterpiece, display it in the conservatory of The Stable Bar. Judging takes place on Friday 17th April, and there’s a prize for our favourite masterpieces.

The Stable Bar is extending their opening hours, serving breakfast 9-11am Easter weekend (Fri-Mon), and opening until 8pm on Easter Sunday evening. We’re also laying on some special Easter entertainment in the bar.

• Good Friday (3rd April) – Live music from 8pm.
• Saturday (4th April) – Liz’s Quizzes from 8pm.
• Easter Sunday (5th April) – Sunday Roast: lunch (12-3pm) and dinner (5-8pm)
• Easter Monday (6th April) – Bingo from 8pm

Does Easter in Cornwall sound good to you? We’ll see you soon!