Travel distances

St Ives to Fowey

St Ives to Fowey on the map

Start and finish

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Distance

52 miles

by road

By car

About 1 hour 20 minutes

in normal traffic

By bike

About 5 hours 15 minutes

steady pace

By foot

About 17 hours 20 minutes

estimated at a 3mph walking pace

Which way to go

The fastest route

Head east on the A30 from St Ives, passing through Hayle and continuing to the A391 junction at Innis Downs. Take the A391 south through Bugle and St Austell, then follow the A390 and B3269 down to Fowey. The final approach descends steeply through woods into the town. Total driving time is around 1 hour 20 minutes in normal traffic.

The scenic route

For a more rewarding journey, follow the A30 to Bodmin, then take the A389 south through Lostwithiel. From Lostwithiel follow the A390 east and the B3269 south to Fowey, passing through the wooded Fowey valley. This adds only a few minutes but the descent through the valley is one of the most beautiful drives in East Cornwall.

Caravans and motorhomes

The A30 and A391 are both suitable for caravans. The final descent into Fowey on the B3269 is steep, narrow and unsuitable for towing. Park at the Fowey Docks area or the Caffa Mill car park at the top of the hill and walk down into the town.

Stops along the way

Start
St Ives
St Austell
St Austell is the natural halfway point and the gateway to the Eden Project, which sits two miles north-east of the town in a former china clay pit. The Lost Gardens of Heligan are eight miles south.
Lostwithiel
The ancient stannary capital of Cornwall, Lostwithiel sits astride the tidal Fowey River and has a cluster of antique shops, a Norman bridge and the ruins of Restormel Castle a mile upstream.
Arrive
Fowey

Practical information

Parking

Fowey has very limited parking for such a popular destination. The main options are Caffa Mill at the top of the town and the small pay-and-display lots near the quay. Both fill by mid-morning in summer. Plan to arrive early or use the Park and Float service from Golant.

Train and bus

There is no direct public transport between St Ives and Fowey. The most practical route by public transport involves the train from St Ives to St Erth, then to Par, and a bus from Par to Fowey. Total journey time is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.

The best time to travel

Fowey is at its best in late spring and early autumn, when the town is busy but not overwhelmed. The late-May bank holiday brings the Fowey Festival of Words and Music, which fills the town's restaurants and guesthouses. July and August are peak season, with the river busy with yachts and the narrow streets packed.

About the St Ives to Fowey journey

The 52-mile journey from St Ives to Fowey is the longest of the St Ives routes, crossing almost the entire width of Cornwall from the far south-west to the wooded estuary country of the east. Fowey stands at the mouth of the River Fowey, which rises on Bodmin Moor and runs south through some of the most deeply wooded valleys in the county. Daphne du Maurier lived nearby at Menabilly and set several of her novels in and around the estuary.

What to do in Fowey

Fowey's main street runs along the waterfront and is lined with galleries, independent shops and cafes. The town church of St Fimbarrus has Norman origins and a spectacular position above the harbour. The Fowey Museum tells the town's maritime and literary history, and the Daphne du Maurier Literary Centre celebrates the novelist's long connection with the area.

Read the Fowey guide

Going the other way: Fowey to St Ives

The return from Fowey to St Ives reverses the same route via the A390 and A30. The steep climb out of Fowey is easier northbound, and the view back down the estuary from the top of the hill is worth pausing for.

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Article Sources

Project OSRM (no date). Open Source Routing Machine: route shape and detour calculations [online]. Available at: https://project-osrm.org Project OSRM
Ordnance Survey (no date). National Grid references used to position each place on the route map [online]. Available at: https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk Ordnance Survey
Google (no date). Google Maps: live traffic and turn-by-turn directions [online]. Available at: https://www.google.com/maps Google Maps