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'''Porthleven''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|p|ɔ:|θ|ˈ|l|ɛ|v|ən}}) is a town, [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] and fishing port near [[Helston]], [[Cornwall]], England, United Kingdom. The most southerly port in Great Britain, it was a [[harbour]] of refuge when this part of the Cornish coastline was infamous for [[shipwreck|wrecks]] in the days of sail.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lizard-peninsula.co.uk/Welcome.html |title=Cornwall Online – The Lizard Peninsula Guide |website=Lizard-peninsula.co.uk |access-date=19 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502001051/http://www.lizard-peninsula.co.uk:80/Welcome.html |archive-date=2 May 2016 |df=dmy}}</ref> The [[South West Coast Path]] from [[Somerset]] to [[Dorset]] passes through the town.<ref>{{Cite map |title=The Lizard |date=2015 |publisher=Ordnance Survey |location=Southampton |isbn=978 0 319 24305 3}}</ref> The population at the 2011 census was 3,059.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/porthleven-and-helston-south-e05008271#sthash.W2EOpKCe.dpbs |title=Porthleven and Helston South – UK Census Data 2011 |website=Ukcensusdata.com |access-date=2016-10-19}}</ref><ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/southwestengland/cornwall/E34002403__porthleven/ City Population site. Retrieved 9 November 2020.]</ref>

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'''Porthleven''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|p|ɔr|θ|ˈ|l|ɛ|v|ən}}) is a town, [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] and fishing port near [[Helston]] in [[Cornwall]], England, UK. As the most southerly port on the island of Great Britain, it was originally developed as a [[harbour]] of refuge, when this part of the Cornish coastline was infamous for [[shipwreck|wrecks]] in the days of sail.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lizard-peninsula.co.uk/Welcome.html |title=Cornwall Online – The Lizard Peninsula Guide |website=Lizard-peninsula.co.uk |accessdate=19 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502001051/http://www.lizard-peninsula.co.uk:80/Welcome.html |archivedate=2 May 2016 |df=dmy}}</ref> The [[South West Coast Path]], which follows the coast from [[Somerset]] to [[Dorset]] passes through the town.<ref>{{Cite map |title=The Lizard |date=2015 |publisher=Ordnance Survey |location=Southampton |isbn=978 0 319 24305 3}}</ref> An electoral ward called '''Porthleven''' and Helston South also exists. The population at the 2011 census was 3,059.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/porthleven-and-helston-south-e05008271#sthash.W2EOpKCe.dpbs |title=Porthleven and Helston South – UK Census Data 2011 |website=Ukcensusdata.com |date= |accessdate=2016-10-19}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
[[Methleigh]] was the site of a fair and annual market from the year 1066.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=40409 |title=Cornwall &#124; British History Online |website=British-history.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=2016-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50631#s3 |title=Parishes: Botus-Fleming – St Burian &#124; British History Online |website=British-history.ac.uk |date=2016-10-14 |accessdate=2016-10-19}}</ref> After the Norman Conquest, the Bishop of Exeter held the manor of Methleigh, but the Earl of Cornwall possessed the right to hold the fair. At the time of the [[Domesday Survey]] there were {{convert|15|acre|ha}} of arable land, {{convert|40|acre|ha}} of pasture and {{convert|60|acre|ha}} of [[understory|underbrush]]. The population consisted of 15 villeins, 4 smallholders and 3 serfs.<ref>C. Thorn, et al., eds., ''Cornwall''. (Domesday Book; 10.) Chichester: Phillimore, 1979; entry 2,2.</ref>
[[Methleigh]] was the site of a fair and annual market from the year 1066.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=40409 |title=Cornwall &#124; British History Online |website=British-history.ac.uk |access-date=2016-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50631#s3 |title=Parishes: Botus-Fleming – St Burian &#124; British History Online |website=British-history.ac.uk |date=2016-10-14 |access-date=2016-10-19}}</ref> After the Norman Conquest, the Bishop of Exeter held the manor of Methleigh, but the Earl of Cornwall possessed the right to hold the fair. At the time of the [[Domesday Survey]] there were {{convert|15|acre|ha}} of arable land, {{convert|40|acre|ha}} of pasture and {{convert|60|acre|ha}} of [[understory|underbrush]]. The population consisted of 15 villeins, 4 smallholders and 3 serfs.<ref>C. Thorn, et al., eds., ''Cornwall''. (Domesday Book; 10.) Chichester: Phillimore, 1979; entry 2,2.</ref>


Until 1844 Porthleven was within the parish of [[Sithney]]. The parish Church of St Bartholomew was built in 1842. The name Porthleven is probably connected with St [[Elwen]] or Elwyn, whose chapel existed here before 1270. It was rebuilt about 1510, but destroyed in 1549. There were also chapels at Higher Penrose and Lanner Veor (the latter founded in 1377) and a holy well at Venton-Vedna.<ref>''Cornish Church Guide'', Truro: Blackford, 1925, p. 185.</ref> The Vicar of Porthleven in the 1850s was the Rev. Thomas Lockyer Williams, a [[Tractarian]] who introduced practices into the parish which provoked dislike in the Rev. Canon [[John Rogers (divine)|John Rogers]] of Penrose, Rector of Mawnan and a canon of Exeter.<ref>H. Miles Brown, ''The Catholic Revival in Cornish Anglicanism''. St Winnow: H. M. Brown, 1980, pp. 40–41.</ref>
Until 1844 Porthleven was within the parish of [[Sithney]]. The parish Church of St Bartholomew was built in 1842. The name Porthleven is probably connected with St [[Elwen]] or Elwyn, whose chapel existed here before 1270. It was rebuilt about 1510, but destroyed in 1549. There were also chapels at Higher Penrose and Lanner Veor (the latter founded in 1377) and a holy well at Venton-Vedna.<ref>''Cornish Church Guide'', Truro: Blackford, 1925, p. 185.</ref> The Vicar of Porthleven in the 1850s was the Rev. Thomas Lockyer Williams, a [[Tractarian]] who introduced practices into the parish which provoked dislike in the Rev. Canon [[John Rogers (divine)|John Rogers]] of Penrose, Rector of Mawnan and a canon of Exeter.<ref>H. Miles Brown, ''The Catholic Revival in Cornish Anglicanism''. St Winnow: H. M. Brown, 1980, pp. 40–41.</ref>


For local-government purposes, Porthleven was included within the nearby town of [[Helston]], until many years of growth gained it a [[town council]] of its own. Its population at the [[United Kingdom Census 2001]] was 3,190.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid%3D7748 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2006-01-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060525024018/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk:80/index.cfm?articleid=7748 |archivedate=25 May 2006 |df=dmy}}</ref>
For local-government purposes, Porthleven was included within the nearby town of [[Helston]], until many years of growth gained it a [[town council]] of its own. Its population at the [[United Kingdom Census 2001]] was 3,190.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid%3D7748 |title=Cornwall County Council - Districts - Kerrier - Parish Population Statistics - 2001 |access-date=2006-01-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060525024018/http://www.cornwall.gov.uk:80/index.cfm?articleid=7748 |archive-date=25 May 2006 |df=dmy}}</ref>


Porthleven's most recognisable building is the Bickford-Smith Institute next to the pier and harbour entrance. It was built on the site of the old Fisherman's Arms and was opened on 16 December 1884. The [[clock tower]] on the west corner is {{Convert|70|feet}} high. The building originally had a reading room, a committee room, a curator's living room and two bedrooms.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Opening Of The Porthleven Institute |work=The Cornishman |issue=335 |date=18 December 1884 |page=5}}</ref> The Institute was [[Listed building|grade II listed]] on 18 March 1991 and currently houses the town council and a snooker club.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Bickford Smith Institute and attached wall |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1297626 |website=Historic England |accessdate=4 August 2020}}</ref> It featured (along with various other scenes from the town) as the incident room in an episode of the TV detective series [[Wycliffe (TV series)|''Wycliffe'']]. A picture of the building against a large breaking wave sometimes appears in the background of BBC UK weather forecasts, particularly when windy conditions and rough seas are expected. The Institute has a plaque to [[Guy Gibson]] [[Victoria Cross|VC]], leader of the [[Operation Chastise|Dambuster Raid]], on the wall facing the harbour. Gibson was born in India, but saw Porthleven – his mother's home town, where his parents were married – as a home town as well. He visited there while on leave during the war, sometimes attending the Porthleven Methodist Church. His name is marked on the community's war memorial (he was killed in 1944) and a street (Gibson Way) is named after him.<ref>[https://www.rocassoc.org.uk/open/items/gr10/guy_gibson.htm, December 2004. Lawrence Holmes, ''Guy Gibson and the Cornish Connection''].</ref>
Porthleven's most recognisable building is the Bickford-Smith Institute next to the pier and harbour entrance. It was built on the site of the old Fisherman's Arms and was opened on 16 December 1884. The [[clock tower]] on the west corner is {{Convert|70|feet}} high. The building originally had a reading room, a committee room, a curator's living room and two bedrooms.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Opening Of The Porthleven Institute |work=The Cornishman |issue=335 |date=18 December 1884 |page=5}}</ref> The Institute was [[Listed building|grade II listed]] on 18 March 1991 and currently houses the town council and a snooker club.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Bickford Smith Institute and attached wall |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1297626 |website=Historic England |access-date=4 August 2020}}</ref> It featured (along with various other scenes from the town) as the incident room in an episode of the TV detective series [[Wycliffe (TV series)|''Wycliffe'']]. A picture of the building against a large breaking wave sometimes appears in the background of BBC UK weather forecasts, particularly when windy conditions and rough seas are expected. The Institute has a plaque to [[Guy Gibson]] [[Victoria Cross|VC]], leader of the [[Operation Chastise|Dambuster Raid]], on the wall facing the harbour. Gibson was born in India, but saw Porthleven – his mother's home town, where his parents were married – as a home town as well. He visited there while on leave during the war, sometimes attending the Porthleven Methodist Church. His name is marked on the community's war memorial (he was killed in 1944) and a street (Gibson Way) is named after him.<ref>[https://www.rocassoc.org.uk/open/items/gr10/guy_gibson.htm, December 2004. Lawrence Holmes, ''Guy Gibson and the Cornish Connection''].</ref>


===The harbour===
===The harbour===
[[File:2. 1880 Thomas Bowden born 1853 working on a half model.jpg|thumb|Part of Porthleven's boat building history]]
[[File:2. 1880 Thomas Bowden born 1853 working on a half model.jpg|thumb|Part of Porthleven's boat building history]]
[[William Cookworthy]] acquired leases on the [[Tregonning Hill]] quarries and shipped [[Kaolinite|china clay]] to his [[porcelain]] factory in Plymouth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tregonning Hill|url=http://www.germoeparishcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/tregonning-hill.pdf |website=Germoe Parish Council |accessdate=26 April 2018}}</ref> In 1826, 150 tons of china stone and 30 tons of china clay were exported, and in 1838, 500 tons of china stone. By 1876, 970 tons were exported and in 1883, 1002 tons.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The china-clay and china-stone industries |work=The Cornishman |issue=243 |date=8 March 1883 |page=7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Editorial |work=The Cornishman |issue=316 |date=7 August 1884 |page=4}}</ref> Granite was also exported, from the quarries at [[Coverack Bridges]] and Sithney.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Editorial |work=The Cornishman |issue=178 |date=8 December 1881 |page=4}}</ref>
[[William Cookworthy]] acquired leases on the [[Tregonning Hill]] quarries and shipped [[Kaolinite|china clay]] to his [[porcelain]] factory in Plymouth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tregonning Hill|url=http://www.germoeparishcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/tregonning-hill.pdf |website=Germoe Parish Council |access-date=26 April 2018}}</ref> In 1826, 150 tons of china stone and 30 tons of china clay were exported, and in 1838, 500 tons of china stone. By 1876, 970 tons were exported and in 1883, 1002 tons.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The china-clay and china-stone industries |work=The Cornishman |issue=243 |date=8 March 1883 |page=7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Editorial |work=The Cornishman |issue=316 |date=7 August 1884 |page=4}}</ref> Granite was also exported, from the quarries at [[Coverack Bridges]] and Sithney.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Editorial |work=The Cornishman |issue=178 |date=8 December 1881 |page=4}}</ref>


Fifty-two fishing boats were built between 1877 and 1883, employing at times up to twenty people. They ranged in length from {{convert|22|feet}} to {{convert|55|feet}} and were built not only for Mount's Bay ports, but for others in the UK and in South Africa.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Boat Building At Porthleven |work=The Cornishman |issue=258 |date=28 June 1883 |page=4}}</ref>
Fifty-two fishing boats were built between 1877 and 1883, employing at times up to twenty people. They ranged in length from {{convert|22|feet}} to {{convert|55|feet}} and were built not only for Mount's Bay ports, but for others in the UK and in South Africa.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Boat Building At Porthleven |work=The Cornishman |issue=258 |date=28 June 1883 |page=4}}</ref>


Overnight on 12–13 December 1978, Police Constables Joseph James Childs and Martin Ross Reid of [[Devon and Cornwall Police]] were killed when their patrol car was swept into the harbour during a heavy storm. A stone memorial was erected on the south-facing harbour wall.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Alpha 42 No Response |last=Moran |first=Mike |publisher= |year=2013 |isbn= |location=Cornwall |pages=}}</ref>
Overnight on 12–13 December 1978, Police Constables Joseph James Childs and Martin Ross Reid of [[Devon and Cornwall Police]] were killed when their patrol car was swept into the harbour during a heavy storm. A stone memorial was erected on the south-facing harbour wall.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Alpha 42 No Response |last=Moran |first=Mike |year=2013 |location=Cornwall }}</ref>


===Lifeboat===
===Lifeboat===
Due to the [[westerlies|prevailing westerly winds]], it was easy for a ship under sail to be trapped in [[Mount's Bay]] and wrecked nearby. The [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]] stationed a [[Lifeboat (rescue)|lifeboat]] at Porthleven in 1863. A boat house was built at Breageside, from where the boat was taken to the water on a carriage. The ''Agar Robartes'' was replaced by the ''Charles Henry Wright'' (named after the donor) in November 1882.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Porthleven |work=The Cornishman |issue=229 |date=30 November 1882 |page=4}}</ref> A boat house on the west side of the harbour entrance was opened in 1894, with a slipway to ease launching. The station was closed in 1929, as the neighbouring stations at {{Lbs|The Lizard}} and {{Lbs|Penlee}} had been equipped with motor lifeboats that could cover the whole bay. The slipway was dismantled and the boat house used as a store for a while. It has since become the Shipwreck Centre museum.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Leach |first=Nicholas |title=Cornwall's Lifeboat Heritage |origyear=2000 |year=2006 |publisher=Twelveheads Press |location=Chacewater |isbn=0-906294-43-6 |pages=37–38}}</ref>
Due to the [[westerlies|prevailing westerly winds]], it was easy for a ship under sail to be trapped in [[Mount's Bay]] and wrecked nearby. The [[Royal National Lifeboat Institution]] stationed a [[Lifeboat (rescue)|lifeboat]] at Porthleven in 1863. A boat house was built at Breageside, from where the boat was taken to the water on a carriage. The ''Agar Robartes'' was replaced by the ''Charles Henry Wright'' (named after the donor) in November 1882.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Porthleven |work=The Cornishman |issue=229 |date=30 November 1882 |page=4}}</ref> A boat house on the west side of the harbour entrance was opened in 1894, with a slipway to ease launching. The station was closed in 1929, as the neighbouring stations at {{Lbs|The Lizard}} and {{Lbs|Penlee}} had been equipped with motor lifeboats that could cover the whole bay. The slipway was dismantled and the boat house used as a store for a while. It has since become the Shipwreck Centre museum.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Leach |first=Nicholas |title=Cornwall's Lifeboat Heritage |orig-year=2000 |year=2006 |publisher=Twelveheads Press |location=Chacewater |isbn=0-906294-43-6 |pages=37–38}}</ref>


==Protected areas==
==Protected areas==
Three of the four [[Sites of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI) sites close to Porthleven and [[Geological Conservation Review]] (GCR) sites are designated of geological interest: Porthleven Cliffs SSSI, Porthleven Cliffs East SSSI, and Wheal Penrose SSSI. The Giant's Rock, within Porthleven Cliffs SSSI, is a [[glacial erratic]] of unknown origin and means of arrival at a site near the entrance of Porthleven harbour. Wheal Penrose SSSI is a disused lead mine {{convert|550|yd|m}} to the south with "examples of typical lead [[zone mineralisation]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Porthleven Cliff |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1004228.pdf |publisher=[[Natural England]] |date=27 June 1986 |accessdate=27 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024224722/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1004228.pdf |archivedate=24 October 2012 |df=dmy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Porthleven Cliffs East |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1005924.pdf |publisher=[[Natural England]] |year=1990 |accessdate=27 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024224731/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1005924.pdf |archivedate=24 October 2012 |df=dmy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wheal Penrose SSSI |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003664.pdf |publisher=[[Natural England]] |year=1993 |accessdate=27 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192234/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003664.pdf |archivedate=2 January 2014 |df=dmy}}</ref> The fourth, [[Loe Pool]], is Cornwall's largest natural lake, formed by a [[barrier beach]] known as Loe Bar that dams the [[River Cober]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Loe Pool |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003319.pdf |publisher=[[Natural England]] |accessdate=28 October 2011 |year=1986}}</ref>
Three of the four [[Sites of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI) close to Porthleven, and the [[Geological Conservation Review]] (GCR) sites are designated for their geological interest. They are Porthleven Cliffs SSSI, Porthleven Cliffs East SSSI, and Wheal Penrose SSSI. The Giant's Rock, within Porthleven Cliffs SSSI, is a [[glacial erratic]] of unknown origin and unknown means of arrival, is near the entrance of Porthleven harbour. Wheal Penrose SSSI is a disused lead mine {{convert|550|yd|m}} to the south with "examples of typical lead [[zone mineralisation]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Porthleven Cliff |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1004228.pdf |publisher=[[Natural England]] |date=27 June 1986 |access-date=27 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024224722/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1004228.pdf |archive-date=24 October 2012 |df=dmy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Porthleven Cliffs East |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1005924.pdf |publisher=[[Natural England]] |year=1990 |access-date=27 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024224731/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1005924.pdf |archive-date=24 October 2012 |df=dmy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wheal Penrose SSSI |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003664.pdf |publisher=[[Natural England]] |year=1993 |access-date=27 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192234/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003664.pdf |archive-date=2 January 2014 |df=dmy}}</ref> The fourth, [[Loe Pool]], is Cornwall's largest natural lake, formed by a [[barrier beach]] known as Loe Bar which dams the [[River Cober]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Loe Pool |url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003319.pdf |publisher=[[Natural England]] |access-date=28 October 2011 |year=1986}}</ref>


Porthleven (like almost a third of Cornwall) lies within the [[Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] (AONB).
Porthleven (like almost a third of Cornwall) lies within the [[Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] (AONB).


==Sport and leisure==
==Sport and leisure==
Porthleven has exploited its location and powerful [[swell (ocean)|swells]] to become one of Britain's best-known [[surfing]] spots, described as "Cornwall's best reef break". Waves often exceeding {{convert|6.6|ft|m}} break on a shallow [[reef]] that was shaped by blasting the harbour.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://magicseaweed.com/Porthleven-Surf-Guide/1253/ |title=Porthleven Spot Guide – Surf Forecast and Report |website=Magicseaweed.com |date= |accessdate=2016-10-19}}</ref> Kayaking is also popular. RNLI lifeguards patrol the beach in the holiday season.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://rnli.org/findmynearest/beach/Pages/Porthleven-Beach.aspx |title=Porthleven Beach |website=Rnli.org |accessdate=2016-10-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014140325/http://rnli.org/findmynear,/beach/Pages/Porthleven-Beach.aspx |archivedate=14 October 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The beach is separated from the harbour by a granite pier in front of the Porthleven Institute and clock tower. When the [[tide]] is out it is possible to walk about three miles east along Porthleven beach. There is also a coastal path with views of the beach below.
Porthleven has exploited its location and powerful [[swell (ocean)|swells]] to become one of Britain's best-known [[surfing]] spots, described as "Cornwall's best reef break". Waves often exceeding {{convert|6.6|ft|m|0}} break on a shallow [[reef]] that was shaped by blasting the harbour.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://magicseaweed.com/Porthleven-Surf-Guide/1253/ |title=Porthleven Spot Guide – Surf Forecast and Report |website=Magicseaweed.com |access-date=2016-10-19}}</ref> Kayaking is also popular. RNLI lifeguards patrol the beach in the holiday season.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://rnli.org/findmynearest/beach/Pages/Porthleven-Beach.aspx |title=Porthleven Beach |website=Rnli.org |access-date=2016-10-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014140325/http://rnli.org/findmynear,/beach/Pages/Porthleven-Beach.aspx |archive-date=14 October 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The beach is separated from the harbour by a granite pier in front of the Porthleven Institute and clock tower. When the [[tide]] is out it is possible to walk about three miles east along Porthleven beach. There is also a coastal path with views of the beach below.


Porthleven Bowling Club is based at Methleigh Parc and affiliated to Bowls Cornwall and Bowls England. It was founded in 1959 and has lawn bowling and short-mat bowls facilities. The club and its members compete within Cornwall and nationally, and there are in-house competitions.
Porthleven Bowling Club is based at Methleigh Parc and affiliated to Bowls Cornwall and Bowls England. It was founded in 1959 and has lawn bowling and short-mat bowls facilities. The club and its members compete within Cornwall and nationally, and there are in-house competitions.
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[[Porthleven F.C.|Porthleven]] has a [[non-league football]] club in the [[South West Peninsula League]], which operates at levels 10 and 11 of the [[English football league system]]. The club's home ground is at Gala Parc.
[[Porthleven F.C.|Porthleven]] has a [[non-league football]] club in the [[South West Peninsula League]], which operates at levels 10 and 11 of the [[English football league system]]. The club's home ground is at Gala Parc.


The traditional place for [[Cornish wrestling]] prize tournaments held in Porthleven in the 19th century was the "Wrestling Field", now marked by a plaque.<ref name="CT28071881">The Cornish Telegraph - Thursday 28 July 1881.</ref> More recently tournaments have been held in the Recreation Ground.<ref>West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 29 July 1948.</ref>
The restaurateur [[Rick Stein]] has a restaurant in the town.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rickstein.com/eat-with-us/porthleven/ |title=Rick Stein's restaurant in Porthleven |website=Rickstein.com |date=2015-09-01 |accessdate=2016-10-19}}</ref>

The restaurateur [[Rick Stein]] opened a restaurant in the town, now taken over by fellow chef, Michael Caines.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Steven |title=Rick Stein Porthleven to be taken over by Michael Caines |url=https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/18556161.rick-stein-porthleven-taken-michael-caines/ |website=Falmouth Packet |access-date=6 June 2021}}</ref>


==Twinning==
==Twinning==
Porthleven is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with [[Guisseny]] (Gwiseni) in [[Brittany]], France.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.porthlevensithneytwinning.co.uk |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2008-05-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003222635/http://www.porthlevensithneytwinning.co.uk/ |archivedate=3 October 2011 |df=dmy}}</ref>
Porthleven is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with [[Guisseny]] (Gwiseni) in [[Brittany]], France.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.porthlevensithneytwinning.co.uk |title=Porthleven Sithney and Guisseny Twinning Association home Page |access-date=2008-05-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003222635/http://www.porthlevensithneytwinning.co.uk/ |archive-date=3 October 2011 |df=dmy}}</ref>


==Notable residents==
==Notable residents==
Porthleven was the birthplace of the Victorian theologian [[Pender Hodge Cudlip]] and of [[David Jewell]], an [[independent school]] headmaster in the late 20th century.<ref name="education.guardian.co.uk">{{Cite news |url=http://education.guardian.co.uk/obituary/story/0,,1818978,00.html |work=The Guardian |first=Stephen |last=Bates |title=Obituary: David Jewell |date=13 July 2006}}</ref>
Porthleven was the birthplace of the Victorian theologian [[Pender Hodge Cudlip]] and of [[David Jewell (headmaster)|David Jewell]], an [[independent school]] headmaster in the late 20th century.<ref name="education.guardian.co.uk">{{Cite news |url=http://education.guardian.co.uk/obituary/story/0,,1818978,00.html |work=The Guardian |first=Stephen |last=Bates |title=Obituary: David Jewell |date=13 July 2006}}</ref>


Porthleven was the home town of the [[Operation Chastise|Dambusters]]' Commanding Officer, [[Guy Gibson]]. There is a road named in his memory. The Porthleven-born [[motor racing]] driver [[Chris Craft (racing driver)|Chris Craft]] competed in the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] race for over a decade, including a third-placed finish in [[1976 24 Hours of Le Mans|1976]], as well as two races in [[Formula One]].
Porthleven was the home town of the [[Operation Chastise|Dambusters]]' Commanding Officer, [[Guy Gibson]]. There is a road named in his memory. The Porthleven-born [[motor racing]] driver [[Chris Craft (racing driver)|Chris Craft]] competed in the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] race for over a decade, including a third-placed finish in [[1976 24 Hours of Le Mans|1976]], as well as two races in [[Formula One]].
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{{Portal|Cornwall}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
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*{{curlie|/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Cornwall/Porthleven/}}
*[http://crocat.cornwall.gov.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqSearch=((text)='porthleven') Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Porthleven]
*[http://crocat.cornwall.gov.uk/dserve/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Overview.tcl&dsqSearch=((text)='porthleven') Cornwall Record Office Online Catalogue for Porthleven]
*{{curlie|/Regional/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Cornwall/Methleigh}}
*[http://www.porthlevenmuseum.org.uk/yourhistory.php Porthleven Museum] - local archives
*[http://www.porthlevenmuseum.org.uk/yourhistory.php Porthleven Museum] - local archives


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[[Category:Civil parishes in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of Cornwall]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of Cornwall]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Surfing locations in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Surfing locations in Cornwall]]

Latest revision as of 03:51, 19 October 2024

Porthleven
Port
Porthleven Harbour
Porthleven is located in Cornwall
Porthleven
Porthleven
Location within Cornwall
Population3,059 (2011 Census including Ashton and Balwest)
OS grid referenceSW6225
Civil parish
  • Porthleven
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHELSTON
Postcode districtTR13
Dialling code01326
PoliceDevon and Cornwall
FireCornwall
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Cornwall
50°05′02″N 5°18′54″W / 50.084°N 5.315°W / 50.084; -5.315

Porthleven (/ˌpɔːθˈlɛvən/) is a town, civil parish and fishing port near Helston, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The most southerly port in Great Britain, it was a harbour of refuge when this part of the Cornish coastline was infamous for wrecks in the days of sail.[1] The South West Coast Path from Somerset to Dorset passes through the town.[2] The population at the 2011 census was 3,059.[3][4]

History

[edit]

Methleigh was the site of a fair and annual market from the year 1066.[5][6] After the Norman Conquest, the Bishop of Exeter held the manor of Methleigh, but the Earl of Cornwall possessed the right to hold the fair. At the time of the Domesday Survey there were 15 acres (6.1 ha) of arable land, 40 acres (16 ha) of pasture and 60 acres (24 ha) of underbrush. The population consisted of 15 villeins, 4 smallholders and 3 serfs.[7]

Until 1844 Porthleven was within the parish of Sithney. The parish Church of St Bartholomew was built in 1842. The name Porthleven is probably connected with St Elwen or Elwyn, whose chapel existed here before 1270. It was rebuilt about 1510, but destroyed in 1549. There were also chapels at Higher Penrose and Lanner Veor (the latter founded in 1377) and a holy well at Venton-Vedna.[8] The Vicar of Porthleven in the 1850s was the Rev. Thomas Lockyer Williams, a Tractarian who introduced practices into the parish which provoked dislike in the Rev. Canon John Rogers of Penrose, Rector of Mawnan and a canon of Exeter.[9]

For local-government purposes, Porthleven was included within the nearby town of Helston, until many years of growth gained it a town council of its own. Its population at the United Kingdom Census 2001 was 3,190.[10]

Porthleven's most recognisable building is the Bickford-Smith Institute next to the pier and harbour entrance. It was built on the site of the old Fisherman's Arms and was opened on 16 December 1884. The clock tower on the west corner is 70 feet (21 m) high. The building originally had a reading room, a committee room, a curator's living room and two bedrooms.[11] The Institute was grade II listed on 18 March 1991 and currently houses the town council and a snooker club.[12] It featured (along with various other scenes from the town) as the incident room in an episode of the TV detective series Wycliffe. A picture of the building against a large breaking wave sometimes appears in the background of BBC UK weather forecasts, particularly when windy conditions and rough seas are expected. The Institute has a plaque to Guy Gibson VC, leader of the Dambuster Raid, on the wall facing the harbour. Gibson was born in India, but saw Porthleven – his mother's home town, where his parents were married – as a home town as well. He visited there while on leave during the war, sometimes attending the Porthleven Methodist Church. His name is marked on the community's war memorial (he was killed in 1944) and a street (Gibson Way) is named after him.[13]

The harbour

[edit]
Part of Porthleven's boat building history

William Cookworthy acquired leases on the Tregonning Hill quarries and shipped china clay to his porcelain factory in Plymouth.[14] In 1826, 150 tons of china stone and 30 tons of china clay were exported, and in 1838, 500 tons of china stone. By 1876, 970 tons were exported and in 1883, 1002 tons.[15][16] Granite was also exported, from the quarries at Coverack Bridges and Sithney.[17]

Fifty-two fishing boats were built between 1877 and 1883, employing at times up to twenty people. They ranged in length from 22 feet (6.7 m) to 55 feet (17 m) and were built not only for Mount's Bay ports, but for others in the UK and in South Africa.[18]

Overnight on 12–13 December 1978, Police Constables Joseph James Childs and Martin Ross Reid of Devon and Cornwall Police were killed when their patrol car was swept into the harbour during a heavy storm. A stone memorial was erected on the south-facing harbour wall.[19]

Lifeboat

[edit]

Due to the prevailing westerly winds, it was easy for a ship under sail to be trapped in Mount's Bay and wrecked nearby. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution stationed a lifeboat at Porthleven in 1863. A boat house was built at Breageside, from where the boat was taken to the water on a carriage. The Agar Robartes was replaced by the Charles Henry Wright (named after the donor) in November 1882.[20] A boat house on the west side of the harbour entrance was opened in 1894, with a slipway to ease launching. The station was closed in 1929, as the neighbouring stations at The Lizard and Penlee had been equipped with motor lifeboats that could cover the whole bay. The slipway was dismantled and the boat house used as a store for a while. It has since become the Shipwreck Centre museum.[21]

Protected areas

[edit]

Three of the four Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) close to Porthleven, and the Geological Conservation Review (GCR) sites are designated for their geological interest. They are Porthleven Cliffs SSSI, Porthleven Cliffs East SSSI, and Wheal Penrose SSSI. The Giant's Rock, within Porthleven Cliffs SSSI, is a glacial erratic of unknown origin and unknown means of arrival, is near the entrance of Porthleven harbour. Wheal Penrose SSSI is a disused lead mine 550 yards (500 m) to the south with "examples of typical lead zone mineralisation".[22][23][24] The fourth, Loe Pool, is Cornwall's largest natural lake, formed by a barrier beach known as Loe Bar which dams the River Cober.[25]

Porthleven (like almost a third of Cornwall) lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Sport and leisure

[edit]

Porthleven has exploited its location and powerful swells to become one of Britain's best-known surfing spots, described as "Cornwall's best reef break". Waves often exceeding 6.6 feet (2 m) break on a shallow reef that was shaped by blasting the harbour.[26] Kayaking is also popular. RNLI lifeguards patrol the beach in the holiday season.[27] The beach is separated from the harbour by a granite pier in front of the Porthleven Institute and clock tower. When the tide is out it is possible to walk about three miles east along Porthleven beach. There is also a coastal path with views of the beach below.

Porthleven Bowling Club is based at Methleigh Parc and affiliated to Bowls Cornwall and Bowls England. It was founded in 1959 and has lawn bowling and short-mat bowls facilities. The club and its members compete within Cornwall and nationally, and there are in-house competitions.

Porthleven has a non-league football club in the South West Peninsula League, which operates at levels 10 and 11 of the English football league system. The club's home ground is at Gala Parc.

The traditional place for Cornish wrestling prize tournaments held in Porthleven in the 19th century was the "Wrestling Field", now marked by a plaque.[28] More recently tournaments have been held in the Recreation Ground.[29]

The restaurateur Rick Stein opened a restaurant in the town, now taken over by fellow chef, Michael Caines.[30]

Twinning

[edit]

Porthleven is twinned with Guisseny (Gwiseni) in Brittany, France.[31]

Notable residents

[edit]

Porthleven was the birthplace of the Victorian theologian Pender Hodge Cudlip and of David Jewell, an independent school headmaster in the late 20th century.[32]

Porthleven was the home town of the Dambusters' Commanding Officer, Guy Gibson. There is a road named in his memory. The Porthleven-born motor racing driver Chris Craft competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race for over a decade, including a third-placed finish in 1976, as well as two races in Formula One.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Cornwall Online – The Lizard Peninsula Guide". Lizard-peninsula.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  2. ^ The Lizard (Map). Southampton: Ordnance Survey. 2015. ISBN 978 0 319 24305 3.
  3. ^ "Porthleven and Helston South – UK Census Data 2011". Ukcensusdata.com. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  4. ^ City Population site. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Cornwall | British History Online". British-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Parishes: Botus-Fleming – St Burian | British History Online". British-history.ac.uk. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  7. ^ C. Thorn, et al., eds., Cornwall. (Domesday Book; 10.) Chichester: Phillimore, 1979; entry 2,2.
  8. ^ Cornish Church Guide, Truro: Blackford, 1925, p. 185.
  9. ^ H. Miles Brown, The Catholic Revival in Cornish Anglicanism. St Winnow: H. M. Brown, 1980, pp. 40–41.
  10. ^ "Cornwall County Council - Districts - Kerrier - Parish Population Statistics - 2001". Archived from the original on 25 May 2006. Retrieved 2006-01-19.
  11. ^ "Opening Of The Porthleven Institute". The Cornishman. No. 335. 18 December 1884. p. 5.
  12. ^ "The Bickford Smith Institute and attached wall". Historic England. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  13. ^ December 2004. Lawrence Holmes, Guy Gibson and the Cornish Connection.
  14. ^ "Tregonning Hill" (PDF). Germoe Parish Council. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  15. ^ "The china-clay and china-stone industries". The Cornishman. No. 243. 8 March 1883. p. 7.
  16. ^ "Editorial". The Cornishman. No. 316. 7 August 1884. p. 4.
  17. ^ "Editorial". The Cornishman. No. 178. 8 December 1881. p. 4.
  18. ^ "Boat Building At Porthleven". The Cornishman. No. 258. 28 June 1883. p. 4.
  19. ^ Moran, Mike (2013). Alpha 42 No Response. Cornwall.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  20. ^ "Porthleven". The Cornishman. No. 229. 30 November 1882. p. 4.
  21. ^ Leach, Nicholas (2006) [2000]. Cornwall's Lifeboat Heritage. Chacewater: Twelveheads Press. pp. 37–38. ISBN 0-906294-43-6.
  22. ^ "Porthleven Cliff" (PDF). Natural England. 27 June 1986. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  23. ^ "Porthleven Cliffs East" (PDF). Natural England. 1990. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  24. ^ "Wheal Penrose SSSI" (PDF). Natural England. 1993. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  25. ^ "Loe Pool" (PDF). Natural England. 1986. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  26. ^ "Porthleven Spot Guide – Surf Forecast and Report". Magicseaweed.com. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  27. ^ "Porthleven Beach". Rnli.org. Archived from the original on 14 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  28. ^ The Cornish Telegraph - Thursday 28 July 1881.
  29. ^ West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 29 July 1948.
  30. ^ Smith, Steven. "Rick Stein Porthleven to be taken over by Michael Caines". Falmouth Packet. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  31. ^ "Porthleven Sithney and Guisseny Twinning Association home Page". Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 2008-05-07.
  32. ^ Bates, Stephen (13 July 2006). "Obituary: David Jewell". The Guardian.
[edit]
  • OpenStreetMap of Porthleven
    OpenStreetMap of Porthleven
  • Sunset behind Porthleven clock tower and overlooking Mount's Bay
    Sunset behind Porthleven clock tower and overlooking Mount's Bay
  • Waves hitting the Pier
    Waves hitting the Pier
  • Porthleven Harbour
    Porthleven Harbour
[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Porthleven.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Porthleven&oldid=1251975819"