Town guide
St Austell, Cornwall: beaches, parking and what’s on
Photograph to come St Austell.
St Austell is described by Wikidata as a “town in Cornwall, England, UK”. Its Cornish name is S. Austel. Here are the beaches, council car parks and event listings nearby.
- Cornish name
- S. Austel
- Beaches in our guide within 10 km
- 10
- Council car parks within 3 km
- 3
- Nearest railway station
- St Austell station (440 m (0.3 miles))
- Events
- Share Cornwall
Beaches near St Austell
Beaches in our guide within 10 km of the centre of St Austell, nearest first.
| Beach | Distance (straight line) | Council dog rule | Water quality 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porthpean | 2.6 km (1.6 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August | Excellent |
| Duporth | 2.6 km (1.6 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Charlestown | 2.9 km (1.8 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Crinnis Beach | 4.3 km (2.7 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Shorthorn Beach | 5.1 km (3.2 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Pentewan | 5.7 km (3.5 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Polstreath | 7.1 km (4.4 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Par Sands | 7.3 km (4.5 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Good |
| Polkerris | 8.1 km (5.0 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Portmellon | 8.5 km (5.3 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August | Excellent |
Council dog restrictions listed under St Austell
- Porthpean Beach, St Austell: no dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August (map PDF)
From Cornwall Council’s dogs-on-beaches list, last updated 23 October 2026.
Council car parks in and near St Austell
Cornwall Council car parks within 3 km of the centre, nearest first. We do not quote charges, which change; each council page has current tariffs.
| Council car park | Postcode | Distance (straight line) | Spaces | Open | Council page updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Street, St Austell | PL25 5QD | 190 m (0.1 miles) | 40 | 24 hours | 22 July 2026 |
| Polkyth, St Austell | PL25 4DB | 820 m (0.5 miles) | 241 | 24 hours | 22 July 2026 |
| Clifden Road, St Austell | PL25 4NZ | 1.5 km (0.9 miles) | 32 | 24 hours | 4 August 2026 |
Getting to St Austell by train
The nearest National Rail stations to the centre of St Austell:
- St Austell station: 440 m (0.3 miles)
- Luxulyan station: 6.7 km (4.2 miles)
- Par station: 6.7 km (4.2 miles)
Straight-line distance, our own calculation from OpenStreetMap station locations (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). It is not a walking or road route. See also beaches you can reach by train.
What’s on in St Austell
For events in and around St Austell, see what’s on in St Austell on our sister site, Share Cornwall.
Other towns nearby
- Mevagissey: 7.6 km (4.7 miles) (straight line)
- Fowey: 11.5 km (7.1 miles) (straight line)
- Wadebridge: 20.1 km (12.5 miles) (straight line)
- Truro: 20.1 km (12.5 miles) (straight line)
Map
Photos
Planning when to go? See Cornwall month by month for daylight, average weather and school holidays.
Sources and checks
- Wikidata: St Austell – CC0
- Cornwall Council car parks – pages checked 1 November 2026
- Cornwall Council: dogs on beaches – last updated 23 October 2026
- Environment Agency bathing water data – Open Government Licence v3.0
- OpenStreetMap: railway stations – ODbL; distances are our own calculation
- National Rail: station information – linked for times and facilities
Last checked: . Published by Oaknest Media. How we check: editorial policy.