The civil parish of Sancreed (Cornish : Plu Eglossancres) lies three miles (5km) west of Penzance and is bounded by the neighbouring parishes of Madron, St.Buryan, Paul and St.Just. It supposedly takes its name from the Celtic Saint, Sancres, founder of the first Christian community there. Consisting of almost 5000 acres, it is unique in West Cornwall in that it has no coastline. The principal settlements are Sancreed Churchtown, Newbridge and Drift but with several additional hamlets like Tregerest, Trannack,Catchall, Sellan, Grumbla and Brane.

With a population which has stabilised at just over six hundred, Sancreed is a farming country with most residents seeking employment outside the parish. It is rich in historical sites such as the Iron Age settlements at Caer Bran and Carn Euny and its thirteenth-century church was famously painted in 1898 by Stanhope Forbes, father of the Newlyn School of Art. The church and the nearby Holy Well attract many visitors and the parish is extremely popular with walkers and cyclists. Savour the vista from Sancreed Beacon with its panoramic views over West Cornwall and it is easy to understand why.