The Hidden Jewel of Cornwall: The Helford River

The Hidden Jewel of Cornwall: The Helford River

I first set eyes on this remarkable shimmering sliver of water nearly thirty years ago.

It was the end of a deliriously hot summer's day and I had just moved house - hundreds of miles - with my mother and father. Admittedly, I was more than a just little morose (in only the way morose young teenage boys can be), but, then again, I had just left behind friends and the place I had known since birth. Still, clapping eyes on the Helford was enough to drag me out of the doldrums. It still does.

Although I've had to spend significant amounts of time away from the area it's been my home ever since. And these days I'm not a glum child anymore (though my wife might beg to differ) but a very cheerful father. Indeed, having experienced the area from the perspective of both a lad and a dad, I'm able to appreciate its appeal to both young and old. Well, old-ish, anyway.

The truth is that it offers something for just about everyone. Sure, if your only idea of enjoyment is trudging up and down city streets on shopping sprees this probably isn't the right neck-of-the-woods for you. But most right-minded people will appreciate what it has to offer.

If you're taking a family holiday then there's plenty to see and do. Bring the bucket and spade and take some time to discover the quiet coves, or head out onto the water and experience the magic of its creeks. And if the weather isn't conducive to the beach, you'll find plenty of places within easy reach to keep children occupied.

Those looking for a rewarding weekend break (romantic, relaxing, or otherwise) will also be hard-pushed to stay somewhere better. If you've a passion for plants and flowers then the area is home to some of the most celebrated sub-tropical gardens in the world (Glendurgan and Trebah, for example); if you're fascinated by the natural world then you'll not only be visiting a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but also a Marine Conservation Area rich in flora and fauna; and if it's all about resting up and doing little then there's some exceptional scenery to act as a backdrop to your repose.

This is a place awash with history, too. For example, it is where Daphne du Maurier set her classic novel Frenchman's Creek; the place where Captain Bligh of HMS Bounty fame was arrested - quite wrongly - for spying; and the site of departure for the 29th US Infantry Division for Omaha Beach at D-Day.

Words are my living, but finding any to adequately describe it in one succinct sentence is hard. As such I can only suggest one thing: walk from Mawnan Old Church and take in the extraordinarily beautiful view of both river below and wide open sea to the east. It simply has to be one of the most magnificent vistas anywhere in the world, and no photograph I could include here would do it justice.

Perhaps then you might find the perfect definition I've been trying to come up with all this time.

Find somewhere to stay (including bed & breakfast and holiday cottages) through Helford Hotels

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