St Leonards Chapel

Situated at the entrance to Smeaton's Pier, St Leonard's Chapel is one of St Ives' most distinctive and historic buildings. Traditionally known as the Fishermen's Chapel, it has stood at the heart of the harbour community for centuries, providing a place of prayer, reflection and shelter for generations of local fishermen before they set sail. Although the exact date of the building’s origin isn’t known, records show the chapel was repaired in 1577, suggesting that it was in existence by the late medieval period.

As part of Heritage Open Days 2026, on the 16th of September between 10am and 3pm, visitors are invited to step inside this unique building. Although modest in size, the chapel holds countless stories of faith, resilience and community, and there is a small collection of objects on display as well as Bernard Leach tiles on the door threshold.

This special opportunity to explore a usually limited-access historic building allows visitors to experience an important part of St Ives' heritage which offers a fascinating insight into the town's long and enduring relationship with the sea.

The chapel is in one of the older areas of St Ives, with other places of interest within the vicinity including Smeaton's Pier itself, and the nearby St Nicholas Chapel (at the top of the island, above the beaches Porthmeor and Porthgwidden).

Timings

Wednesday 16 September:

Visit between 10am and 3pm

Location & directions

St Leonards Chapel, Smeatons Pier, St. Ives, Cornwall, TR26 1LP

Directions:

St Leonards Chapel is situated at the entrance to Smeatons Pier in St Ives. The what three words for St Leonards Chapel are: ///secures.strategy.bandaged

Contact on day:

Alison Johnston

Telephone number:

+441736322604

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking not required

Accessibility details

St Leonards Chapel is a small historic building, and it's estimated that around ten people should be able to access the space comfortably at any one time. The entrance doorway is up four small granite steps, therefore is not wheelchair accessible.

Additional information

Although the chapel doesn't have a toilet within it, it is next to the Smeaton's Pier public toilets

Max number of people:

10

Estimated duration:

0 hour(s) 15 minute(s)

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