Information about St Austell

The first detailed record of the town's existence comes from an account of a visit to the county by King Henry VIII. He described St Austell as being little more than a small village surrounding a central church, whose only other notable feature was a small granite bridge (clearly far older than the other buildings) spanning the river (later to be known locally as &dquot;the White River&dquot; due to the effect of the drainage of micaceous waste water from the local clay industry). The bridge is still extant, and is believed to be either the oldest or one of the oldest standing structures in the town.The real name of the river is the Vinnick, possibly meaning 'weedy'.

Due to mechanisation, the china clay industry now employs just over 3000 people, a mere fraction of the workforce in the early 20th century. However, the industry still commands a higher annual output than ever before.The town's economy is supported by its town centre shops and supporting businesses.

The St Austell Brewery, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2001, supplies cask ale to pubs in Cornwall and the rest of the UK. They are best known for their flagship beer, St Austell Tribute; a number of other ales are brewed but are rarely seen outside Cornwall.

Like much of Cornwall, and neighbouring counties, tourism is increasingly important to St Austell's economy. Tourists are drawn to the area by nearby beaches and attractions such as the Eden Project.

St Austell railway station was opened by the Cornwall Railway on 4 May 1859 on the hillside above the town centre. Services operate to Plymouth, London Paddington, and the North, as well as other stations in Cornwall. The town's bus station, which is currently undergoing a redevelopment, faces the entrance to the railway station to offer an easy interchange between buses and trains. National Express coach services call here, a dedicated link operates to the Eden Project, and local buses operate to towns such as Fowey and Mevagissey.

St Austell has two comprehensive schools, Poltair School, formerly the grammar school, and Penrice Community College. Cornwall College St Austell, is a Further & Higher education institution incorporating the former St Austell VIth Form Centre & Mid Cornwall College of Further Education. The College is based at John Keay House, which is also home to the college group's headquarters. In addition, St Austell has seven primary schools.

Photographs of St Austell