Hayle

Hayle is best known for its three mile beaches of golden sand. The beach extends from Hayle to Godrevy Lighthouse. The lighthouse is located on a island just off the beach. It was the inspiration for Virginia Woolf to write her novel To The Lighthouse.

View of Hayle Seen From the Beach

A fantastic beach for the family, it is patrolled by life guards during the summer. Not only is it good for swimming and sunbathing but it also used for surfing and wind surfing.

View of St Ives From Hayle Beach

The Towans sand dunes edge onto the beach. Here can be found a variety of holiday accommodation i.e. chalets and caravans located almost on the beach.

Hayle's estuary, with its muddy tidal flats, is a magnet to many exotic birds and is heavily frequented by bird watchers. The temperate climate of the area means that the flats do not freeze. Because of this, migratory birds use it in winter as a resting and feeding place. Additionally for those with an interest in birds, there is the Bird of Paradise Park.

Hayle is only six miles from Penzance. This is a town with a rich industrial heritage, coming into importance in the eighteenth century, with the growth of copper production in this part of Cornwall .

The money and raw materials from mining allowed the town to flourish and provided the drive to set up iron foundries and smelters that produced goods, not only for local consumption but for export to all over the British Empire. Hayle became known for its engineering, particularly for the production of steam engines. Harvey's also used to its expertise to produce cannons, one of which can be seen on the main road just before entering Hayle.

Crimean War Mortar Cast By Harveys

The Mill Pond

Parts of Harveys foundry still exist. These important historical buildings are to be kept and sympathetically redeveloped.

Harvey's Foundry Complex

Hayle is a town divided into two areas, the Foundry and Copperhouse. It originally developed this way due to two rival foundries, with a commercial complex growing around each.

Unfortunately economics led to it to be cheaper to transport the ore elsewhere for smelting rather than bringing in coal to Hayle. Three tons of coal were needed to smelt one ton of copper. The industry had declined by the nineteenth century.

Hayle as a port had its heyday during the era of copper smelting and foundry works. After this, it declined but was still used on a much smaller scale until thirty years ago. There have always been problems with the harbour silting up and requiring dredging.