Helston, Cornwall

...a review of my hometown, Helston, in Cornwall.

*Location and travel

Helston is located at the far South-West of Cornwall, where the county splits in two like someone holding out two fingers in the game “scissors, paper, stone”. To the South lies the Lizard Peninsula, at the end of which is Lizard Point, the most southerly place in Great Britain. To the West lies the Land’s End Peninsula, which ends at, well you guessed ...
...is plenty to see in Helston, and most visitors also use it as a touring base from which to visit the surrounding countryside, for which it is ideally placed. You will need a car to get the best out of your visit, as public transport is generally poor in the area.

Within Helston itself, there is family fun to be had at the boating lake, and walks through Coronation Park and the Penrose Estate. There is also an indoor swimming pool, ... more

This is a review of my hometown, Helston, in Cornwall.

*Location and travel

Helston is located at the far South-West of Cornwall, where the county splits in two like someone holding out two fingers in the game “scissors, paper, stone”. To the South lies the Lizard Peninsula, at the end of which is Lizard Point, the most southerly place in Great Britain. To the West lies the Land’s End Peninsula, which ends at, well you guessed it, Land’s End, the most westerly part of the mainland!

So, to get there you need to hop in your car and keep going southwest. It will take you about 6 hours from London on a good run. If you meet the Atlantic Ocean, you’ve gone about 25 miles too far. If travelling by train, you’ll be disappointed but probably not surprised to learn that the Helston branch line was closed many years ago and some rather fetching pebble-dashed bungalows now grace the spot where the station once stood. The nearest stations now are Penzance (15 miles), Redruth (15 miles) or Truro (17 miles). Don’t even think about using the incredibly badly named National Express, unless maybe you sleep well on coaches. Even then, wherever you are coming from, you will need to change at Plymouth or Bristol, or both. If you are rich though, you can fly to Newquay Airport and hire a car.

Finally - DO NOT BRING A CARAVAN! (Grrrr ;-))

*History

Helston was granted its charter by King John in 1201, although it had already been in existence for several hundred years by then. Its name derives from henlis, the Cornish word for “old court”, and the town is listed in the Doomsday book as “Henliston” – ton being a Saxon word for village, or enclosure.

The town stands on the River Cober, which was once tidal before it was cut off from the sea by a long sandbar, Loe Bar. This formed a large lake and there are pleasant woodland walks from the bottom of Helston through the Penrose estate around the lake to Loe Bar and the sea. (You can catch the bus back if you walk just a little further along the coast into Porthleven. And handily, the bus stop is right next to the Harbour Inn!). Allegedly, Helston was a port before being cut off, exporting tin and copper, but what is definitely known is that it is an ancient market and stannary town. Miners would bring their tin to be weighed and tested for quality in the coinage hall, and this gave rise to the name of Helston’s main street, “Coinagehall Street”.

*Modern day Helston

The town centre is compact, to put it politely, and constitutes three streets. Truly, don’t blink if you are driving through. Coinagehall Street is the main thoroughfare, running uphill for about a quarter of a mile from the river and boating lake at the bottom of town. Meneage Street and Church Street run off it, and contain various shops, pubs and Helston’s Museum. However, the population of Helston is artificially large due to the fact that the largest Naval Airbase in Europe, RNAS Culdrose, sits at the outskirts of town. (This, combined with the Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station just beyond should make Helston a very safe place to live in the event of any future hostilities against the UK. Or not.)

It is a generally attractive town, with a wealth of Victorian and Georgian architecture and an interesting history. However, it does suffer slightly from a feeling of faded grandeur and, let’s be brutal, the lack of non-seasonal employment. Which is why I had to move away.

*Flora day

Helston is most famous for Flora Day, which takes place every year on May 8th, except when it falls on a Sunday or Monday (market day), when it takes place on the preceding Saturday. It is a town holiday, and of huge significance for Helstonians. The town’s buildings are decorated with bluebells and green foliage and there is a general air of carnival.

The main event is the Flora Dance (also known as Furry), which is a processional dance through the streets, led by the town brass band. The tune is well known, but contrary to popular opinion, and the worst efforts of Terry Wogan, there are no words set to the music. During the preceding weeks and days, you can hear the band practising and school children rehearsing the steps: out-and-out, and in-and-in, out-and-out, and in-and-in. 1-2-3-hop, 1-2-3-hop, 1-2-3-hop, change partner.

The dance, an ancient pagan fertility ritual, is one of the oldest customs in Great Britain. It has, of course, been adopted and modified by the Christian Church, and May 8th is also the Feast of the Apparition of St Michael the Archangel, Helston’s Patron Saint. Before the Church got its hands on it, it is probable that the dance was performed on May 1st, Beltane (or May Day, as Christians call it). As an aside, children conceived at Beltane are in legend gifted by the Gods, which may explain the number of Cornishmen with February birthdays – like my own son. No prizes for guessing what we named him.

The dance is performed four times during the day: at 7am, 10am (the children’s dance), midday and at 5pm. All the dancers wear buttonholes of lily of the valley. The children wear white, and floral headdresses, with a different flower for each school. The morning and evening dances are “smart casual”, but the midday dance is a very formal, invitation-only affair, the men wearing top hats and morning suits and the ladies wearing long dresses. To lead the dance you must be “Helston born and bred”. The dancers weave their way around the town, in and out of shops, houses and gardens that are not open to the public during the rest of the year. It really is quite a spectacle.

Also performed on Flora day is the Hal-An-Tow. This is a street play performed at various places around the town, enacting the verses of the Hal-An-Tow song - another old custom associated with fertility / the start of summer: “For summer is a come-o, and winter is a gone-o”. Included in the play is Robin Hood, the Spanish Armada, St George killing the dragon, and finally St Michael taking on the devil. So, something for everyone! A large crowd accompanies the actors, waving sycamore branches and making lots of noise to announce the start of each performance – and you are encouraged to join in!

The pubs (of which there are many in Helston – more on that later) are open all day and do a roaring trade. Also in town on Flora Day is the funfair, which sets up opposite the boating lake, and the market, with stalls along Coinagehall Street offering some good bargains.

*Other attractions in Helston

Aside from Flora Day, there is plenty to see in Helston, and most visitors also use it as a touring base from which to visit the surrounding countryside, for which it is ideally placed. You will need a car to get the best out of your visit, as public transport is generally poor in the area.

Within Helston itself, there is family fun to be had at the boating lake, and walks through Coronation Park and the Penrose Estate. There is also an indoor swimming pool, although this lacks any “kiddie extras” such as a flume or shallow area. Helston Museum provides an insight into the history of the area and entry is free. Don’t miss the opportunity to find out why there is a cannon outside on the cobbled square - and the photo opportunity this provides (recently used in the Dame Judy Dench film “Ladies in Lavender”).

On the outskirts of town, heading towards the Lizard, Flambards Theme Park offers an excellent day out for everyone. Its displays include a Victorian village, a recreation of Britain in the Blitz, and various aircraft and aviation related paraphernalia, as well as the usual rides and amusements.

Next door to Flambards lies RNAS Culdrose, which offers breathtaking aerial displays each year in July at Air Day. There is also a viewing enclosure at the far end of the base where “spotters” can park and watch helicopters and planes arriving and departing.

Beyond Culdrose, the Lizard Peninsula is home to many great beaches, stunning coves and pretty villages that warrant a review of their own. There is great coastal walking, and watersports such as sailing and diving are available. The very worthy seal sanctuary can be found in Gweek. This is also Daphne Du Maurier country, and no visit to the area is complete without visiting the Helford Passage.

In the opposite direction, it is possible to visit the attractions of the Land’s End Peninsula, including Hayle, St Ives, Cape Cornwall and Land’s End itself. This is also, arguably, where the best climbing in Cornwall can be found.

*Nightlife (lack of)

Nightlife in Helston is fairly traditional and centred around pubs and inns. As Helston is a Naval town, it has a preponderance of these. However, of particular note is the Blue Anchor, a historic thatched pub believed to be the oldest brew house in the country. It brews “Spingo” ales, all of which are incredibly strong. You have been warned.

There is one small nightclub in the town, but most would-be-clubbers travel to one of the surrounding larger towns. If you’re desperate (as I was in my teens) the bus (yes really) to “The Barn” nightclub in Penzance is a popular choice; it leaves from outside The Fitzsimmons Arms around 9.30pm and makes the return journey when the club shuts.

I hope that this has given you some insight into Helston, what it is like to both visit and to live there. Thanks for reading.
 

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