St Ives Heritage Craft Fair

Two hundred and fifty stalls is a serious craft fair, and the St Ives Showground has the ground for it. Six hours on the first Sunday of the month, with the stalls spread across the site rather than crammed into a single pavilion, which is what stops a market this size feeling like a scrum.

Craft in the broad sense, not the twee one

The range runs well past knitted things. Artworks, body care products, children's wear, garden products, furniture, homewares, jewellery and leatherwork all have a proper presence, and at this scale each category is deep enough to compare rather than take what you find. Furniture in particular is unusual at a monthly craft market and is worth a look if you are after something made rather than assembled.

Free entry and free parking at a 250 stall market is the detail worth noting. Markets of this size on council showgrounds usually charge for one or the other, and often both.

Good to know before you go

Six hours and 250 stalls is a genuine half day, so do not treat it as a stop on the way somewhere. Bring cash and a bag, and if furniture is on your list, bring a car that will take it. The showground is off Mona Vale Road with plenty of parking, and the 195 bus corridor runs nearby if you would rather not drive. Go early for the pick of the handmade goods and later if you want space to look properly, because the middle of the day is the busiest stretch.