A walk around Helford and Frenchman's Creek
- christenpears
- Jul 14
- 3 min read
Last week we took advantage of a gloriously hot day to do one of our favourite walks around Helford and Frenchman’s Creek. It's a relatively short walk of around three miles but takes you through woodland, farmland and some beautiful riverside scenery. The area is also known for its wildlife and is home to a wide variety of birds and fish.
We began at the main car park in Helford and walked down the hill into the village. The settlement dates back to the medieval period and it was a thriving port until the river silted up and trade moved elsewhere. These days, with its thatched cottages and quirky boathouses, it's easily one of the prettiest village in Cornwall. Helford Passage, on the other side, is an excellent spot for water sports and there's a little ferry that takes passengers between the two.
We crossed the footbridge which affords an excellent view towards the mouth of the river and Carrick Roads beyond. We then made our way towards the Shipwrights Arms - an excellent spot for a bite to eat in case you were wondering - and then out of the village and down to Penarvon Cove. It's a small, shingle beach which overlooked by an impossibly pretty whitewashed cottage and is usually quiet even in the summer.
From here you can carry on or take a little detour through the woods at Pengwedhen. They’re particularly lovely and shady during the hotter months but in spring they put on a wonderful display of bluebells. The woods are also home to a tiny chapel built in 1933 and dedicated to St Francis.
From here it's on to Frenchman’s Creek. Even if you haven’t visited Frenchman’s Creek you probably know of it from Daphne du Maurier’s novel of the same name. The beautiful and spirited Lady Dona St Colomb flees the boredom of Restoration London and her doltish husband for his country estate near Helford. There she meets the dashing French pirate, Jean-Benoit Aubery, who’s been secretly mooring his ship in Frenchman’s Creek and raiding the Cornish coast. It's not my favourite du Maurier novel but, as usual, she's masterful at evoking atmosphere and a sense of place.
The path skirts the edge of the water and there's a crossing at the head of the creek where you can walk down the other side to Within Quay. We then doubled back on ourselves to continue the walk back across farmland via Kestle Barton - an ancient farmstead and now an art gallery and garden. The gardens are planted with Piet Rudolf-inspired swathes of verbena and rudbeckia in the summer and there's always an interesting exhibition.
On the way back we stopped at Holy Mackerel, the cafe next to the car park, for an excellent crab sandwich. It's closed during the winter months but if you’re here during the season it's well worth a visit.
Exploring the area further
There's plenty to do on and around the Helford. Here are some of our suggestiosn for making a day of it:
Get on the water
The Helford river is one of our favourite places to paddleboard. Helford Passage is a great place to launch although you do need to drop your board off at the little beach and head back up the hill to park. If you don't have your own board, you can hire them as well as dinghies and kayaks.
Visit a garden
Trebah and Glendurgan are both subtropical gardens situated on the north side of the Helford. Glendurgan, which is owned by The National Trust, slopes down the valley to the pretty fishing village of Durgan. Trebah, once used as a training ground for American troops preparing for the D-Day landings, it remains in private ownership. You can read more about Trebah here.
See the seals
The Cornish Seal Sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates seal pups. Visitors can learn about marine conservation on see the permanent residents.
Potager Garden
Once an abandoned plant nursery, Potager Garden is now home to an excellent vegetarian cafe and learning centre which hosts a range of workshops on subjects such as basket making and natural dyeing.
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