Helston
Helston, the northern gateway to the Lizard Peninsula, was for 600 years one of the five medieval stannary or coinage towns of Cornwall. Locally mined tin was brought to Helston to be weighed, taxed and stamped at the Coinage Hall in the town's main street, Coinagehall Street, before being despatched throughout southern Britain and continental Europe. As a result of its privileged position Helston prospered until the decline of the tin industry in the early 20th century.
Visiting this quiet market town today it is difficult to imagine that up until the 13th century Helston was also a very busy port. Sea trade ceased when a bank of sand and shingle silted up the harbour mouth, preventing access to the sea beyond. This natural bank now called the Loe Bar, formed in the 13th century and had the resultant effect that the dammed River Cober created the largest natural freshwater lake in the county, Loe Pool. Lying a couple of miles south-west of Helston and once forming part of a privately owned estate, Loe Pool is now owned by the National Trust. A charming 6-mile walk leads around the wooded fringes of Loe Pool, a haven for sea birds and waterfowl, providing a delightful distraction for visitors. Cornish folk tales link Loe Pool with the Arthurian legend of the Lady of the Lake. As with Bodmin Moor's Dozmary Pool, a hand is said to have risen from the depths to catch the dying King Arthur's sword, Excalibur.
Helston's long and colourful history has left its mark on the town, a legacy of interesting old buildings that tell of its earlier prosperity jostle for attention with their modern counterparts.
It remains typically Cornish however, in that most of the buildings employ granite and slate. A maze of narrow roads and alleys lined with quaint old shops and houses tumble down toward the broad main thoroughfare, Coinagehall Street, unusually grand for Cornwall. These steeply sloping streets contain a surprising assortment of Georgian, Regency and Victorian buildings, which together create a genteel atmosphere. In Coinagehall Street there is a fine neo-classical Guildhall, and as Helston continues to be a market town, on Mondays this main street is lined with colourful market stalls. In Wendron Street is a modest thatched cottage, the birthplace of ‘Battling' Bob Fitzsimmons, the only true Englishman to become the heavyweight boxing champion. At 11st 2lb he was also the lightest man ever to hold this title, defeating ‘Gentleman Jim' Corbett in 1897; he remained champion until 1899.
The thatched Blue Anchor Inn was a hostel for monks in the 15th century, and stands at the lower end of Coinagehall Street. Further up this street stands the Angel Hotel, Elizabethan in part and the former town house of the landed family, the Godolphins. Helston's parish church of St Michael was rebuilt in the 1750's at the Earl of Godolphin's expense, the original church having been destroyed by lightning. It features an imposing exterior, a fine plaster ceiling in the chancel, Elizabethan brasses in the porch, a vast brass chandelier made in 1762 and an impressive internal gallery running down three sides of the nave. In the churchyard is the grave of local man Henry Trengrouse (1772-1854) responsible for inventing the rocket-propelled safety line used by lifeboatmen and coastguards, an invention that has saved many lives around the British coast. His original prototype is housed in the Folk Museum as a part of an exhibit devoted to his life's work. Located in the old butter and meat market, the museum displays include a reconstructed forge, farm implements, a cider press, a Cornish kitchen and Victorian photographs and toys. The archaeological section includes discoveries from all over the Lizard Peninsula including a Bronze Age axe.
Helston is perhaps best known for its annual ‘Furry Dance', which dates back to pre-Christian times, a celebration of the onset of summer. Held every May, on or near the 8th from 7.00am, this ancient pagan festival takes its name from the Cornish word fer meaning feast day, although in the 18th century it was renamed after the Roman goddess Flora. Now often referred to as the Floral Dance, local legend claims that it is performed in commemoration of St Michael's victory over the Devil, who tried to claim possession of the town. Formally dressed in green, couples and pairs of children dance through streets and in out of people's houses, to the accompaniment of traditional folk music.
On the southern approaches to Helston, the main road passes close to ‘Flambards', a popular all-weather theme park set in attractive landscaped grounds and offering a variety of attractions. These include an aero park, Victorian village, ‘Britain in the Blitz' exhibition and many thrill-a-minute fairground rides. By contrast, nearby Penrose Estate offers the calm and solitude of delightful wooded walks.
Lying three miles south-east of Helston is the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, near the village of Gweek. Sick and injured seals, sea-lions and their pups are rescued and brought here from all over the country for treatment and care before being returned to the wild. There is an underwater observatory, which allows visitors to view the seals close up.