Redruth is one of those places that can easily get overlooked, but spend a bit of time here and you’ll soon see why we rate it.
It’s just ten minutes from the beach at Portreath, yet feels a world away from the usual seaside Cornwall. It has that proper town feel, with a fascinating industrial past, independent shops, great places to eat and drink and plenty going on. Better still, hop on the train and you can be in Truro, Falmouth or elsewhere in Cornwall without having to worry about who’s driving home.
It’s hard to imagine now, but the A30 and double-decker buses once ran right down Redruth High Street. (Yes, really!) The town has changed a lot over the years, but plenty of its character remains.
You won’t find a Greggs or a Wetherspoons in sight, and frankly, long may it stay that way.
Instead, Redruth is home to a brilliant mix of independent, quirky and downright interesting places to eat, drink and shop.
So, in no particular order, here are a few reasons we (really) rate Redruth.
It’s home to a buzzing Buttermarket
Set inside a beautifully restored cluster of Grade II listed buildings, The Buttermarket has become a real hub for food, music, culture and community.
There are six pop-up kitchens serving different cuisines, which means nobody has to agree on what they're having for dinner. Grab your buzzer, find a table and let everyone order exactly what they fancy.
Then there’s the courtyard, which comes alive with live music, markets, feasts and all sorts of wonderfully random happenings.
One week it might be a ceilidh. Another, a Morris dancing flash mob. You really never quite know what you’re going to get.
And then there’s All Request Friday, where you can scan a QR code, request your favourite song and see what happens next. Basically, your chance to become DJ for the evening without having to own a pair of decks.
Cowgirls at The Drapery has Arrived
The Redruth Drapery Stores was once a grand, glass-fronted department store and one of the town’s iconic shopping destinations. Later, it became live music venue The Green Room.
Now it has been given another new chapter as Cowgirls.
You may already know the team from their original food outlet at The Buttermarket, which they rather quickly outgrew.
Cowgirls is all about good food, straight from the farm to the plate, with a seriously cool western-inspired interior. The team are farmers themselves and are known for their juicy beef burgers made from their own retired dairy herd.
There are also sundaes made with milk straight from the farm, and, keeping things suitably rural, they sell Hawkstone too.
There are plans for breakfasts and steaks, so watch this space.
There’s a Miniature Railway
For something completely different, head to Moseley Heritage Museum at Tumblydown Farm.
It’s a wonderfully quirky celebration of Cornish mining heritage and model engineering, run with plenty of enthusiasm by friendly volunteers.
There are working model railways, Meccano marvels and, best of all, a real miniature mine train ride with mini turntables. Entry is free too.
It’s exactly the sort of place you stumble across and wonder how you didn’t know about it sooner.
It’s Got a Proper Cinema and Theatre
The Regal remains Cornwall’s largest cinema auditorium, with six screens as well as a theatre that attracts big names from music and comedy.
It has hosted everyone from Showaddywaddy to Sarah Millican and has even welcomed the occasional red carpet premiere.
Not bad for a town cinema.
You Can Have a Spa Day in a Pub
Only in Cornwall.
Rose Cottage is another Redruth favourite that has been given a fresh lease of life. Once the place you went to before heading to the Twilight Zone, it now has a rather different offering.
Think wood-fired sauna, hot tub, steam room and cold plunges ranging from around 12 to 5 degrees.
A pint and a plunge? Why not.
It’s Home to One of Cornwall’s Last Remaining Meaderies
Cornwall once had 14 meaderies, stretching from Hayle to St Agnes and, incredibly, St Columb.
Today, only three remain, and Redruth is home to one of them.
Redruth Meadery is a candle-lit, medieval-themed dining hall on Clinton Road, complete with shields, lances, flags, armour and great big refectory tables.
It’s famous for its Chicken in the Rough: a whole crispy chicken served on a wooden platter for everyone to tear into with their hands. Add chips, help yourself from the salad bar or go half and half.
It’s gloriously old-fashioned, wonderfully fun and definitely not fine dining. And that’s precisely the point.
It’s Home to a Newly Opened Wine Bar
Cooper’s Wine Bar is another welcome addition, with seasonal food designed for sharing, generous boards and Mediterranean-inspired small plates.
There’s a relaxed wine list, with house wines served in simple carafes, alongside quirky cocktails and ‘boozey warmers’.
It’s from the same team behind Cove Café at Riviere Towans which you can read more about in our previous blog Best Beach Caf
Alongside its much-loved Murdoch Day and proud St Piran’s Day celebrations, the town hosts the International Mining & Pasty Festival.
One of the highlights is the Smoking of the Stacks, when the Wheal Uny engine houses above Redruth are dramatically lit up.
Redruth isn’t trying to reinvent itself as somewhere it isn’t. It’s embracing its history, supporting independent businesses, creating new places to eat and drink and generally getting on with it.
Vive la Druth, and long may the Redruth revival continue.
Have we missed somewhere that deserves a mention? We’d love to hear about it! Get in touch.
