About Porthleven and it's history
Porthleven is full of history and the story of Porthleven dates back to the 1500's when
the little settlement was simply a small lake that ran from the nearby tin mines and into the sea.
Boats were being increasingly blown off course near porthleven and hitting the rocks towards Loe Bar and Gunwalloe, so
it was decided that a safe haven for boats was needed. Loe Bar was considered first, but what was once the port of Helston
had long silted over, creating the Low Bar that we see today. Engineers feared that even with the building of a pier it would
not stop the Loe Bar from silting over, so this location was dismissed.
And so Porthleven was chosen, a pier was built first which stopped the much smaller loe bar in Porthleven from silting
over. Many old cottages occupied the steep hillside surrounding Porthleven, of whom had dug little gardens into the cliffside,
many are still there and can be observed above Blue Haze Restaurant.
The harbour in Porthleven created a safe haven for the tired fishermen, but not all were lucky. Many boats would miss
Porthleven Harbour causing many ship wrecks, creating the need for a lifeboat, Porthlevens lifeboat was donated by the RNLI
in 1890, and ceased operation in 1986.
Porthleven went through much history and different fishing and mining trades. Today Porthleven is one of the most popular
locations in the South West of Cornwall with many restaurants, shops and Public houses to visit.