Borough of Helston
"Home of The Furry Dance"
Helston an ancient market town, was first granted its charter in 1201. Two main streets intersect the town and the widest, Coinagehall Street, was described by John Betjeman as "It takes a beautiful curve like the Oxford "High" and is well terminated at either end."
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Helston was one of the ancient coinage towns where tin ingots were assayed and stamped to assess the duty to be paid to the Duke of Cornwall. During this process a corner or "coign" was cut off to be assayed for quality. In early times Helston was a thriving port at the head of the Cober estuary but from the 13th C onwards, the estuary began to silt up and a great shingle bank "The Loe Bar" was formed at the mouth of the estuary making the largest freshwater lake in Cornwall. The estates round this lake are part owned by The National Trust and there are delightful walks to be taken in this area. Helston Folk Museum stands behind the Guildhall and has an interesting collection ranging from Bronze Age artifacts to fire engines. Admission is free and it is well worth a visit. |
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A charming feature of the town are it's Kennels. These are streams running down either side of Wendron Street, Church Street and Coinagehall Street. In earlier time these kept the gutters clean but today only add to the charm of Helston. The streets are lined with many interesting shops including a Cornish Book Shop specializing in all things Cornish including the Cornish Language. Local bakeries abound and the smell of fresh baked pasties tempt all who pass. Parking is easy and only a few yards from the shopping area. At the bottom of the town is Coronation Park complete with children's play area, boating lake, ducks and swans. Two miles southwest of the town stands RNAS Culdrose, the largest helicopter base in Europe. An Air Day is held each year in July and a public wiewing area is open all year. |
