Helston

50.1011111111-5.27416666667Coordinates: 50° 6′ N, 5° 16′ W

Helston (Cornish Hellys) is a small English town in the county of Cornwall. The town lies between Falmouth and Penzance on the north-western edge of the Lizard Peninsula. The River Cober flows through Helston, emptying into Loe Pool about two kilometres to the southwest.

The name of the town is derived from the Cornish name of the town "hen-lys". The name translates as "the old court". In Anglo-Saxon times the suffix -ton was added and it was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1089 as "manor of Henlistona". Settlements can be traced here back to the Iron Age. Helston is one of the oldest parishes in the county of Cornwall. In 1201 Helston was granted town and market rights by John of England, the rights were confirmed by Richard of Cornwall. The town grew during the reign of Edward I through his tin mines. During this time a mining court was established here, which essentially determined the quality of the tin ingots. To do this, a corner (coign) was cut from the ingot, and the ingot was then officially stamped on the cut surface. Only then were the bars allowed to be sold. Thus, these courts were precursors of coins.

From the 13th century onwards, a sandbank (Loe Bar) developed at the mouth of the River Cober, which has since separated the river from the sea (Mount's Bay). The River Cober dammed up as a result and has since formed the largest natural freshwater lake (The Loe Pool) in Cornwall. For the town this meant the loss of the town harbour. Thus the importance of the town as a mining town decreased. However, trade continued to play an important role, so the town was granted the right to mint coins by Elisabeth I.. The "Coinagehall Street", in which the mint stood, still reminds of this time.

In 1863 Bob Fitzsimmons was born here, he was the first three-time world boxing champion.

Today Helston has 9780 inhabitants (Census 2001). The town is known for the Spring Folk Festival with the Furry Dance, which is celebrated every year in May. It is believed that the custom of the Furry Dance dates back to the Celts. Similar customs are still practiced today in Biewer and in Echternach. Many residents now work at the Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose (RNAS Culdrose), the largest helicopter base in Europe. However, the town also has tourist significance due to its historic town centre, its location on the Loe Pool and as the gateway to The Lizard peninsula (A3083).

In terms of transport, the town can be reached via the main A394 road. The nearest train station is at Camborne or Redruth and the nearest airport is at Newquay.

Since 1968 there is a town twinning with Sasso Marconi, a district of Bologna in Italy.

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