[1] St Austell was a village centred around the parish church, until the arrival of significant tin mining in the 18th century turned it into a town.

[7] Neither travel writer, John Norden (c. 1547 – 1625) or Richard Carew (1555–1620) in his Survey of Cornwall mentioned St Austell as a place of any consequence.

Oliver Cromwell granted a charter to hold a market on Friday, as a reward to a local gentleman who fought for him at the battle of Boconnoc.

[9] Along with William Cookworthy's discovery of china clay at Tregonning Hill in west Cornwall, and the same mineral, found in greater quantity in Hensbarrow downs north of St Austell, the town became more prominent.

In August 2007, developers David McLean and demolition team Gilpin moved onto the town centre site to complete the preparation, with the Filmcentre which was originally an Odeon cinema dating back to 1936, being demolished in late September/early October.

This would mean New Look relocating from its current premises in Fore Street and the return of Peacocks to St Austell following the demolition of its old store to make way for the new development.

The Torchlight Carnival was revived [clarification needed] in November 2009 as a direct result of public demand through a survey conducted with local residents.

The Torchlight Procession has become an important event in the town's calendar, heralding in the Winter celebrations and drawing thousands of people from across Cornwall and Devon.

[16] The Cornwall Council strategic planning committee voted in July 2011 to approve a £250 million beach resort scheme at Carlyon Bay, St Austell.

St Austell is the main centre of the china clay industry in Cornwall and employs around 2,200 people as of 2006[update], with sales of £195 million.

[24][25] The St Austell Brewery, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2001, supplies cask ale to pubs in Cornwall and other parts of the country.

Its flagship beer is St Austell Tribute; a number of other ales are brewed but are less commonly sold outside Cornwall.

St Austell Brewery's first public house, The Seven Stars Inn, purchased in 1863, still stands on East Hill in the town but has closed as a public house; the building is let by the Brewery at 'minimal rent' to a charity providing an educational facility for young people.

The China Clay Country Park, in a former china-clay pit two miles (3 km) north of the town, tells the story of the men, women and children who lived, worked and played in the shadow of the clay tips around St Austell.

St Austell is home to several public houses, numerous high street retailers, and several independent shops, many of which cater for tourists.

Notable Cornish architect Silvanus Trevail designed a number of St Austell's buildings and houses, including the Thin End and the Moorland Road terrace.

Other notable architects from St Austell include John Goode, who contributed considerably during the 1970s to residential developments in the area.

The Cornish Main Line in St Austell is quite renowned for its viaducts in the Gover Valley and Trenance areas of the town.

In the early years trains from St Austell had to push wagons over the tall, curving viaduct to shunt this siding.

The Great Western Railway's instructions stated that: "Trucks may be pushed from St Austell to the Siding, but when this is done the speed of the Train between the two places must not exceed 8 miles an hour, and the head Guard must ride on the leading vehicle, unless it be a bonnet end one, in which case he must ride in the first low sided vehicle from it, to keep a good look out, and be prepared to give a signal to the Driver either by Day or Night, as may be required".

Train services today operate west to Truro and Penzance, and east to Plymouth and London.

A high stone wall bounds the remaining acre of land; access can be gained through a wrought iron gate.

The ancient traditional location for wrestling tournaments was the Bull Ring, behind the stables at the White Hart Inn.

Other places used for Cornish wrestling tournaments include: Many famous Cornish wrestlers came from St Austell including Jacob Halls, James Bullocke, Samuel Rundle, Joseph Menear, Philip Hancock and Thomas Stone.

Speedway racing first took place a venue called Rocky Park, under the name "St Austell Gulls".

The sport returned to the area in the late 1990s, in the Clay Country Moto Parc, located at Old Pound, Nanpean.

The club operated as the St Austell Gulls for four years, until the club changed ownership, and moved up a league to the Premier League, re-formed as the Trelawny JAG Tigers, until site owners Imerys Minerals Ltd ended the lease.

Founded in 1963 St Austell RFC has played at the Tregorrick Park ground since their move from Cromwell Road in the 1980s to make way for the Asda supermarket.

Tregorrick Park also hosts a gym, sports hall, squash courts, bar, function room and holds local events such as firework displays and schools cross country competitions.

St Austell Golf Club is the only one that has a driving range as well as being the oldest of the three, being founded in 1911,[66] with Carlyon Bay being designed a year later in 1912.