Short answer: For ice cream in Boscastle, use the National Trust cafe at the harbour, which lists Cornish ice cream on its menu (reviewers say it is Kelly's). Cornish Stores on The Bridge also sells ice cream, and one reviewer mentions dog ice cream there. Winter hours are shorter, so check before you walk down.
The best ice cream in Boscastle is not hard to find, but it is easy to walk past. There is no big parlour here. Instead, two small places along the river sell Cornish ice cream within a few minutes of each other. Here is how to pick between them, and how to build the cone into a walk.
The National Trust cafe on the harbour (4.5 from 147 Google reviews) lists "Cornish ice cream" among its sweet options, alongside cakes, biscuits, pasties and cream teas. Reviewers name the ice cream as Kelly's and call the choice of local flavours a highlight; the Trust's own page says only Cornish ice cream, so check the board for flavours. The cafe is on the right-hand side of the harbour as you face the sea, in the same building as the shop, with level access and a courtyard where you can sit. The National Trust gave its opening times for 23 October 2026 as 11am to 4:30pm, with takeaway until 30 minutes before closing, and said the shop and cafe opened late that day because of an amber weather warning. A late-afternoon cone is unlikely in winter.
Prices change through the year and the Trust does not publish them, so read the board when you get there. Reusable cups are welcome, and the Trust says most food is prepared on site, so allergen-free products cannot be guaranteed. Our cream tea guide covers the same cafe in more detail.
Cornish Stores on The Bridge has 4.2 from 40 Google reviews, so it is a small sample. It is a general store selling local produce, coffee and gifts. One reviewer called it "one of our favourite stores" for the Kelly's clotted cream ice cream and mentioned dog ice cream in large pots. Stock varies by season, so ask before you promise the dog anything. Reviews are mixed on staff attitude, so this is a purchase-and-go stop rather than a place to linger. It is the one on the way back to the car park.
Ask every time. The National Trust says allergen-free products cannot be guaranteed at its cafe, and neither counter publishes allergen information online. Contact the vendor directly before you rely on it for an allergy, and bring your own safe alternative for a child. For planned gluten-free food, Boscastle Bakery's gluten-free pasty needs about 45 minutes, according to reviewers, so ring 01840 250205 to order ahead; see our pasty and fish and chips guide.
Buy a cone at the harbour and finish it before you climb. The Willapark path is steep and the Trust warns of cattle and ponies on the clifftop fields, so a dripping cone is a bad companion. A better order is climb first, then ice cream on the way down. For routes, see our Boscastle walks guide. On a day you want a flat walk, the tarmac roads either side of the harbour are mostly level at the top end before the paths turn narrow and uneven toward the sea. The blowhole at Penally Point is worth a look on the way: the Trust says it works about an hour either side of low tide.
The Go Cornwall 95 bus between Bude and Wadebridge stops by the harbour car park and toilets (southbound) and at the top harbour bridge (northbound), according to the Trust. It does not run on Sundays until Easter 2027. If you drive, the Cobweb car park charges from 9am to 4pm and is free after 4pm, which is useful if you only want a late walk to the quay. Our parking guide has the tariff.
If you are heading along the coast anyway, Tintagel has its own scoops, covered in our Tintagel ice cream guide. At Crackington Haven, VisitCornwall lists a small beach shop, a bistro cafe and a family pub close to the sand, and at Widemouth Bay a beach cafe, but both lists leave out what they sell, so treat them as places to ask rather than promises of a cone. Our beaches near Boscastle guide has the dog and lifeguard rules.
Sometimes. The National Trust page does not publish separate winter hours for the cafe, and stock and hours at the village shops vary. Our winter guide lists what stays open, and the car park is free after 4pm, which falls just as the cafe closes. Everything else we cover is on the Boscastle town page.
The National Trust cafe at the harbour lists Cornish ice cream, and Cornish Stores on The Bridge sells ice cream too. Reviewers name Kelly's at both.
Neither shop publishes prices online, so check the board at the counter.
A reviewer of Cornish Stores mentioned dog ice cream in large pots. Stock varies by season, so ask first.
The National Trust gave cafe hours of 11am to 4:30pm for 23 October 2026 and does not list separate winter hours. Check before travelling.
The National Trust says allergen-free products cannot be guaranteed because most food is prepared on site. Ask staff directly.
Times, prices and dates are the businesses' and organisers' to change, so check before you travel. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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