Helston
Hen-lysHome of the Flora dance
Gateway to the Lizard Peninsula, Helston is a town where impressive heritage meets a modern community, no more so than in early May when Flora Day takes place, filling the town with music and dance.
Historical town
Helston’s timeline stretches back a long way. The Saxons were here in the 6th century and with a charter granted by King John in 1201 (for the price of forty marks of silver!), the town became the second oldest in Cornwall.
From the 1700s onwards, Helston, as with so many major towns in the county, prospered on the back of tin mining, being a stannary town. This was somewhere the minors could bring their tin to be valued and sold.
With the arrival of the railway in the mid 1800s, Helston became a tourist destination and ‘the gateway to the Lizard peninsula’, where tourists would arrive to see some of the most incredible scenery, wildlife and natural beauty in the UK.
Today the town has a lively, friendly atmosphere with busy main streets and plenty of historical attractions that keep the town's heritage alive.
In May, the town comes alive for Flora Day, one of the most ancient and famous May day celebrations in the UK. The houses and shops of the town are decorated with greenery and floral arrangements to express the spirit of renewal. Couples dance through the streets, entering selected houses and shops to drive out the darkness of winter and bring in the light of spring. The boisterous and exciting Hal-an-tow is also performed through the streets of the town representing historical and mythical themes. This is truly a must see festival with impressive historical significance for the county.
The town's center is now home to artisan shops featuring local makers, some fantastic pasty shops, a museum and arts center, artists studios, a historical town trail, a pottery and one of the oldest (and supposedly very haunted!) pubs in Cornwall, the thatched Blue Anchor Inn on the high street.
Not to be missed....
The Museum of Cornish Life, is a hidden gem in the centre of town, just behind the Guildhall. It gives a fascinating insight into local history, and we dare you not to say ‘we had one of those’ at some point as you go through this Tardis style building.
CAST (Cornubian Arts & Science Trust) is a wonderful place to check out - keep an eye out for their film nights, artist talks and exhibitions from international artists.
Both CAST and The Museum of Cornish Life have a wide range of activities during school holidays to keep little ones entertained. Check their websites for the latest details.
Coronation Park, the Boating Lake & The Old Cattle Market located at the bottom of the town, are also a must. From here there’s a wonderful walk with a tarmaced path suitable for different mobility considerations, wheelchairs, prams and bikes that takes you alongside Loe Bar Lake, through Penrose estate (with a National Trust cafe for a pit stop!) and out on to the beautiful Loe Bar Beach.
Helston is also home to Flambards, the theme park best known for the fabulous Victorian village and Britain in the Blitz exhibitions as well as the thrill of the rides for young and old alike.
You can also visit the Helston Railway, a reconstruction of the original GWR branch line that serviced Helston and the Lizard Peninsula for over 100 years until it closed in the 1960s. There’s so much to discover in and around Helston!
Loe Bar and the Penrose Estate
Loe Bar beach is a half mile shingle bank which separates the Loe, the largest natural fresh water lake in Cornwall, from the sea. This was originally the mouth of the River Cober which led to a harbour in Helston. However, by the 13th century the bar had grown is size and cut Helston off from the sea and formed the pool.
Loe Bar has a well-earned reputation for being treacherous and over the years several lives have been lost. The combination of powerful waves, a steep slippery shingle bank and vicious currents make it a very dangerous stretch of beach.
Rumours of these incidents being the results of a freak wave that claims a life every seven years abound, but at the end of the day the best advice is to heed the signs and don't even think about swimming here. Another legend states that the a man called Tregeagle was, as part of a punisment, to remove all the sand from Gunwalloe and take it to Porthleven, from where the sea would return it. On one of these journeys he is said to have dropped a bag of sand at the entrance of Helston harbour and this formed the Bar.
You can walk to the bar from Porthleven along the South West Coast Path, or down through the Penrose Estate from Helston, where you can also hire bikes and cycle down.
Take a break in Coronation Park where you’ll find a contemporarily designed lakeside café serving up snacks, while out on the water there are pedalos and row boats to crew, plus ducks to feed. from here you can also walk or cycle to the Penrose Estate and Loe Pool.
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Things to do in Helston
Via Ferrata Cornwall
We run Via Ferrata, Zip Wire Safari, rock climbing, coasteering (in our quarry!), archery, stand-up paddleboarding and watersports sessions, which include a mix of kayaking, canoeing and SUP.
Falmouth, HelstonRead morePlan your trip
Everything you need to know to plan your perfect trip to Helston
The M4, M5 and M6 motorways have made travel to Cornwall simple and straightforward, while within Cornwall itself, the A30 and A38 continue to improve with fast dual carriageways. Follow the M5 to Exeter, and join the A30 to Truro. Follow the A39 towards Falmouth. Turn onto the A394 towards Helston. Helston has a short stay car parks located at Trengrouse Way TR13 8AG
National Express serves Cornwall from destinations throughout the UK. Connecting services to Cornwall are available from Bristol, Birmingham and London. The coach drop off point is to the centre of Helston at Coinagehall Street. Local bus routes and taxis can be picked up here.
Great Western Railways operate high speed services from London Paddington, South Wales and the Cotswolds to Cornwall, including sleeper services from London Paddington. Cross Country Trains (Arriva Trains) operate services into Cornwall from the Midlands, the North and Scotland. Redruth is a mainline train station. Local bus connections to Helston can be picked up here.
The geology of the Lizard is unique, which leads to amazing formations which can be viewed along the coastline. This also allows for a wide range of unique flora and fauna, and the area is, as such, designated as part of Cornwall's National Landscape.
- Helston
Helston is perhaps most famous for the 'Furry' or Floral Dance held on the 8th May, unless this falls on a Sunday or Monday when it takes place on the preceding Saturday.
The nearest beach to Helston is Loe Bar, about two miles away through the Penrose Estate. It's mentioned in the main section. This is not a beach you can swim from and there's no nearby parking.
The nearest beach that you can park close to is at Porthleven (4 miles), but like Loe Bar this is not recommended for swimming due to strong currents.
Helston is no longer served by a railway, at least not one connected to the mainline. The branch-line into Helston closed in the early 1960s.
A short stretch of the line has recently reopened to the north of the town as a heritage railway, travelling along one mile of track.
Like most Cornish towns, Helston retains a few 'local' shops plus a smattering of shops that you would find on many high streets. The majority of shops are on Meneage Street and down Coinagehall Street.
There's also a couple of supermarkets on the edge of the town.
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