Helston is one of the ancient coinage towns (Stannage) of Cornwall where tin ingots were assayed and weighed to ascertain the tax duty payable to the Duke of Cornwall. Now HRH Prince Charles.  Helston still has that feel of an Ancient Town. Harping back to the days of Victorian correctness with a country Market over feel. There is still an animal Market run at the bottom of the town.

The main street - Coinagehall Street is fairly steep as you would expect from a hill town - Either side of the street run leats that carry spring water from the top of the town. The leats also flush the street rainwater away.

Helston is the town where the famous 'Furry, or Flora, Dance' is performed on May 8th each year. The dance and festival has its history back in Pre-Christian times and is performed to welcome in a prosperous harvest for the season ahead. Dancers dress up in 'Top Hat and tails' & 'wedding dresses' A strange mix of PAGAN and Christian celebration that most of the town takes part in. Even the Children.

 Helston is one of the least changed of all Cornish towns but it still manages to have all the facilities of a modern town with shops, pubs, restaurants, a sports club, and boating lake.

The ever popular Flambards Village Theme Park is just on the outskirts of the town.

Just outside Helston is the Royal Naval Air Station at Culdrose which always has an AIR  DAY in July.

Helston was a port in the 12th & 13th century. It is even believed the Romans had a settlement here to ship the tin back to the empire. The river named the cober was open to the sea up and until the 13th century when it silted up and the beach known as loe bar formed across the entrance.

  Click on picture to enlarge

The bar now forms a pretty inland lake about 2 miles south-west of the town. It is part of the Penrose Estate and offers paths for lovely walks around the lake and loe bar shoreline. It is one of the largest natural  freshwater lakes in Cornwall.