Porthleven

Porthleven is a small coastal town lying about two miles southwest of Helston. Its name is thought to derive from the Cornish for smooth or level harbour. It is a very picturesque place with a large harbour and a good level walk out to the town clock and beach. It is one of those places that have that something different, once you have visited it, you just keep coming back for more. Not so commercial as St. Ives and not so large as Penzance the town feels 'just right'.

There is known to have been some sort of settlement here from at least the 14th Century. The current harbour was built between 1811 and 1825 to provide safe anchorage for the growing fishing fleet. It was constucted using prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars and was opened in August 1825. In 1855, the harbour was leased by Harvey & Co. of Hayle. They upgraded the harbour creating the deeper inner basin and timber gates still in use today. Although not so obvious these days, Porthleven was an important fishing port in the late 19th Century. There are reports of over 140 boats packing the port in 1880 with associated trades such as sailmakers, netmakers and menders, rope makers, coopers (barrel makers), smoke houses, salt cellars and pilchard packing cellars. Some of the locations around the town reflect this in their names.

The iconic 70 foot clock tower stands atop the Bickford-Smith Institute. Built in 1883 as a literary institute for the town by local entrepreneur William Bickford-Smith whose estate at Trevarno can still be visited today. The two cannon sitting on either side of the harbour came from the Royal Navy Frigate HMS Anson and were last used at the battle of Brest against the forces of Napoleon. The frigate was unfortunately wrecked off Loe Bar in 1807 with the loss of 120 crew. The cannons a silent memorial.

There are excellent walks northwest over Breageside towards the clifftop mines at Trewavas, to Rinsey and Kenneggy or southeast over the Tye Rocks towards Loe Bar and Loe Pool - incidentally the largest freshwater lake in Cornwall. There is a very pleasant and most relaxing inland path that circles Loe Pool and enters the Penrose Estate - A must if you are in the area.

Accommodation

B & Bs

Chydane (4 km)

Halftides (8 km)

Glendower B&B (4 km)

Ennys (9 km)

Ednovean Farm (9 km)

Halzephron Inn (5 km)

Merther Uny Farm (8 km)

Primrose Cottage B&B (4 km)

Caravans and Camping

Kenneggy Cove Holiday Park, Penzance (7 km)

Poldown Caravan and Camping Park, Helston (4 km)

Boscreege Caravan and Camping Park, Helston (6 km)

Cottages

Fisherman's Cottage, Porthleven (6 km)

Rose Cottage, Helston (3 km)

Carter's Loft, Porthleven (0 km)

The Stable, Helston (2 km)

Swallows Barn, Helston (2 km)

Trescowe: Pendarves, Praa Sands (7 km)

Chy-an-Gwel, Helston (4 km)

Bluebell Cottage, Mullion (9 km)

Angelica, Mullion (9 km)

Candytuft Cottage, Mullion (9 km)

Woodford Cottage, Penzance (8 km)

Coachmans, Praa Sands (6 km)

Windmill, Praa Sands (6 km)

The Mowey Barn, Helston (8 km)

Burnoon Barn, Helston (8 km)

Meadow View, Helston (7 km)

Sycamores, Helston (7 km)

Tregadjack, Helston (8 km)

Eglosderry, Helston (4 km)

Trelowarren, Helston (9 km)

The Fringes, Helston (6 km)

Trewenna, Mullion (8 km)

Scrumpy Cottage, Mullion (8 km)

Trescowe: Crofty, Praa Sands (7 km)

The Paddock, Marazion (10 km)

Trenowyth Wheelhouse, Mullion (9 km)

Trenowyth Moorings, Mullion (9 km)

Trenowyth Spinnakers, Mullion (9 km)

The Mowhay, Helston (5 km)

Sowanna Farm Cottage, Mullion (7 km)

Sandpiper, Mullion (9 km)

Prospect Cottage, Helston (5 km)

Praa Sands Inglenook, Praa Sands (6 km)

Newton Round Farmhouse, Praze-an-Beeble (9 km)

Newton Round Byre, Praze-an-Beeble (9 km)

Carnmeor, Praze-an-Beeble (9 km)

Bolytho Barn, Redruth (10 km)

Appletree Cottage, Gweek (8 km)

Trenance Farm Cottages, Mullion (9 km)

Holiday Parks

St Piran Lodge, Camborne (9 km)

Swallow Caravan, Penzance (9 km)

Willow Lodge, Penzance (9 km)

Cormorant Caravan 3, Penzance (9 km)

Kestrel Caravan, Penzance (9 km)

Kingfisher Caravan, Penzance (9 km)

Willow Lodge Plus, Penzance (9 km)

Marazion Caravan, Penzance (5 km)

Willow Lodge 3, Penzance (9 km)

Poldown, Helston (4 km)

Local hotels

Polurrian Hotel (8 km)

Mullion Cove Hotel (9 km)

Helston Premier Inn (7 km)

Nansloe Manor Hotel (3 km)

An Mordros Hotel (0 km)

Harbour Inn (6 km)

Local attractions

Beaches

Perranuthnoe (9 km)

Prussia Cove (7 km)

Kenneggy Sands (7 km)

Praa Sands (6 km)

Porthcew (4 km)

Porthleven (1 km)

Loe Bar (2 km)

Gunwalloe Fishing Cove (4 km)

Dollar Cove (6 km)

Gunwalloe Church Cove (6 km)

Poldhu Cove (7 km)

Polurrian Cove (8 km)

Mullion Cove (9 km)

Mining history

Great Work (6 km)

Wheal Prosper & Wheal Trewavas (4 km)

Wheal Trewavas (3 km)

Great Wheal Vor (5 km)

Poldark Mine (Wheal Roots) (8 km)

Basset & Grylls (10 km)

Wheal Ann United (7 km)

Carleen Mine (4 km)

Wheal Metal (incl. Metal and Flow) (4 km)

Sithney and Carnmeal Mine (4 km)

Great Wheal Fortune (3 km)

Wheal Gurlyn (9 km)

Halamanning (8 km)

Unity Consols (10 km)

Releath Mine (8 km)

Binner Downs (8 km)

Crenver & Wheal Abraham (8 km)

Wheal Godolphin (7 km)

Trevenen Mine (6 km)

Trumpet Consols (6 km)

Garlidna & Ruby (9 km)

Wendron Consols (9 km)

Wheal Vrawz (7 km)

Carbona (8 km)

Wheal Treasury (Wheal Treasure) (9 km)

West Providence Mine (10 km)

Wheal Reeth (Lady Gwendolen) (6 km)

Gwin & Singer United (5 km)

Penberthy Crofts (incl. Wheal Fancy) (9 km)

Ennys Wheal Virgin (9 km)

Wheal Friendship (10 km)

Leeds & St. Aubyn (6 km)

Wheal Neptune (10 km)

Trebarvah (9 km)

Penhale Wheal Vor (5 km)

Wheal Hendra (5 km)

Wheal Prospidnick (6 km)

Wheal Christopher Consols (7 km)

North Lovell (9 km)

West Wheal Lovell (6 km)

East Wheal Lovell (10 km)

Treworlis (5 km)

Crowan and Wendron Consols (Wheal Releath) (8 km)

Pubs

Crown Inn (10 km)

Rodney Inn (6 km)

Harbour Inn (6 km)

Victoria Inn (10 km)

Blue Anchor (3 km)

Crown Inn (5 km)

Halzephron Inn (5 km)

Local walks

Perranuthnoe to Cudden Point (9 km)

Cudden Point to Praa Sands (7 km)

Praa Sands to Porthleven (2 km)

Porthleven to Gunwalloe Church Cove (2 km)

Gunwalloe to Mullion Cove (7 km)

Adventure parks

The Flambards Experience (4 km)

Farms & animals

National Seal Sanctuary (8 km)

Cinemas

Flora Cinema (4 km)

Gardens

Trevena Cross Nurseries (6 km)

Godolphin House (6 km)

Cornwall heritage

Poldark Mine (8 km)

Museums

Helston Folk Museum (4 km)

Pub Grub

The Victoria Inn (10 km)

Restaurants

Kota (0 km)

New Yard (9 km)

Blue Haze (0 km)

High Point Restaurant (8 km)

Halzephron Inn (5 km)

The New Yard Restaurant (9 km)

Amélie's at The Smokehouse (0 km)