Picturesque fishing village
A small, traditional fishing village just south of the Helford River. There was once a thriving pilchard fishing industry here with the water mill in full use. The beach attracts geologists from far and wide as it lies on the glacial fault line with the South West Coastal Foot Path running through the village. It has one road running through it, with a pub, the Five Pilchards Inn, and a post office.
The Porthallow Village Association exists because in the 1970's the village bought the beach from the Trelowarren estate. A group of villagers invested the cost and became Trustees of both the beach and the institute to be maintained for the benefit and use of the village.
In the 13th century Porthallow was used as a fishing base by Beaulieu Abbey. In 1317 the abbey acquired a plot at nearby Porthallon with a slipway where the abbot's men could draw up their boats. A small river ran to the sea there with a narrow beach and steeper slopes flanking a wide valley providing space for settlement. While not being easily accessible by land they must have relied largely on sea borne communications. The Beaulieu Abbey fishermen seemed to have used the port as a shore base after extended fishing expeditions. Records of rents levied on fishing ports in the Duchy of Cornwall in the early 14th century show that Porthallow was a substantial fishing village paying only slightly less rent than Fowey. The Porthallow Pilchard Curing Company leased the land from the Trelowarren estate from 1914 to 1937 when it was purchased as the Porthallow Institute and Reading Room.
Helford Lizard Peninsula St. Keverne The Coastal Footpath Porthallow Vineyard Porthoustock