IWalls & gates · listed 1957Trenethick Barton FarmhouseOn the list as Trenethick Barton Farmhouse Including Rear Courtyard and Walls and GatewayPhoto: Tony Atkin · CC BY-SA 2.0
Church of St Michael · Photo: Dr Neil Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0AHistory Grade
History of Helston · Historic England
209 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I
On the Historic England list, all of them stand inside Helston’s built-up area, 184 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 3 scheduled monuments. We have photos of 9 of its listed buildings and 6 old views of the town. 16% of its homes were built before 1919. Helston grades A for history: #12 of 35 in Cornwall.
Listed buildings
209
184 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
2
exceptional interest
Grade II*
8
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
3
1 registered park or garden
Homes built before 1919
16%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures
Helston in 16 photos and old views
Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed, and the town before 1950. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Trenethick Barton Farmhouse Including Rear Courtyard and Walls and GatewayGrade I listed
GuildhallGrade II* listed
Angel HotelGrade II listed
Former Methodist Church and Epworth Hall Adjoining to SouthGrade II listed
Helston Museum and Entrance ScreenGrade II listed+11See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.
Through time
Helston from 1903 to 1920
6 old photos and postcards, in date order. All public domain, made before 1950.
1903
1911
c. 1920
Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server. Each credit opens the image’s page with its full description and history.
The map
Where Helston’s history is
Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monumentPark or garden
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
0 of 7neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 44% were built before 1919.
Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.
209 listed buildings by grade
2 Grade I8 Grade II*199 Grade II
Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.
Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).
Grade I
The 2 Grade I listed buildings in Helston
Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings. 1 is photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.
Walls & gates · listed 1988Gatehouse and Adjoining Courtyard Walls Immediately in Front of Trenethick Barton Farmhouse
Grade II*
The 8 Grade II* listed buildings in Helston
Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 5 are photographed.
II*Public · listed 1972Helston Town HallOn the list as GuildhallPhoto: Kevin Hale · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Church · listed 1950Church of St MichaelPhoto: Dr Neil Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Memorials · listed 1972Monument to H M GryllsPhoto: Tim Green from Bradford · CC BY 2.0
II*Walls & gates · listed 1950No 1 with Attached Forecourt Walls and Attached Garden WallsPhoto: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Church · listed 1950Stone Cross near Junction with Church StreetPhoto: Dr Neil Clifton · CC BY-SA 2.0
Walls & gates · listed 1950No 4 and Attached Forecourt Walls, Steps and Railings
Walls & gates · listed 1972No 58 and Attached Walls
House · listed 1988Stables Adjoining Trenethick Barton Farmhouse
Historic streets
Meneage Street has the most listed buildings
Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.
Meneage Street28 listed
Coinagehall Street17 listed
Church Street16 listed
Wendron Street12 listed
Cross Street9 listed
Godolphin Road5 listed
Of the 209 entries, 93 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.
What’s protected
Most of Helston’s listed buildings are homes
Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.
Houses, terraces & villas118
Walls, gates & bridges42
Churches, chapels & priories15
Inns, shops & warehouses14
Public & civic buildings13
Street furniture5
Memorials, crosses & tombs2
118 entries (56%) are houses, terraces and villas. 15 are churches, chapels and priories.
Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.
Grade II
199 Grade II listed buildings
Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.
The first 150 of 199 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
Alliance and Leicester Building SocietyAngel HotelAnvower MillAnvower MillhouseBarn at Approximately 30 Metres North of Trenethick Barton FarmhouseBell InnBoundary Stone at SW666290Brentone Tomb East of Church of St MichaelChapel RowChapel RowChimney East of Mill HouseChurchyard Walls, Gate and Gateways to North, North West, North East and South West of Church of St MichaelChymder HouseCoach House to East of No 11Cock Tomb Approximately 40 Metres North of Church of St MichaelCoinagehallCuldrose HouseDrew Tomb Approximately 30 Metres North of Tower of Church of St MichaelDrill HallEeko Villa Trelubbus Villa Farmhouse Including Front Garden Walls, Gate Piers and RailingsEndsleigh HouseFitzsimmons Arms Public HouseFootpath Walls and Steps Towards Church Street Walls and Steps to Footpath Towards Church Street (Footpath Not Included)Footpaths Walls and Steps Towards Ccoinagehall Street Walls and Steps to Footpath Towards Coinagehall Street (Footpath Not Included)Forecourt Walls and Railings to CoinagehallFormer Baptist ChurchFormer Methodist Church and Epworth Hall Adjoining to SouthFour Lamp Standards in Front of Nos 5, 9 and 11 and Opposite No 1Garden Buildings South of LismoreGarden Wall to the East and South of No 9Garden Walls to East, South and West of LismoreGarden Walls to No 48Garden Walls with Ice House to No 4Gate Piers and Railings to East of Former National SchoolGluyas Tomb South East of Porch of Church of St MichaelGodolphin ClubGroup of Three Chest Tombs Approximately 25 Metres North of Church of St MichaelGun from HMS Anson in Central Position Behind GuildhallGwealhellis CottageHelston Museum and Entrance ScreenK6 Telephone KioskKitchen Garden Walls Immediately East of Trenethick Barton FarmhouseLeslie HouseLismoreLowertown BridgeLowertown Institute and Pavement with Gateway at the FrontLowertown MillMarket Place Steps and PavingMeneage HospitalMill HouseMonument CottageNo 122 and Attached Forecourt WallsNo 15 and Attached RailingsNo 17 and Attached Carriage HouseNo 18 and Attached Front Garden WallsNo 2 and Attached WallsNo 62A and Attached OutbuildingNo 8 and Attached Coach HouseNo 8 and Attached Forecourt Walls, Steps and Gate PiersNo 94 and Attached Walls at RearNos 1 to 7 and Attached Railings to Front of No 5Nos 12 and 14 and House at Rear of No 14Nos 18 and 20 Including Carriage House to RearNos 6 and 8 Including Warehouse to RearOld Mathematical SchoolOld Town Prison and Attached Courtyard WallsOpen Water Conduit on Godolphin RoadOpen Water Conduits in Church Street and Penrose RoadOpen Water Conduits on Coinagehall Street and Almshouse HillPenberthy Tombs and Cross Approximately 8 Metres West of Church of St MichaelPenhellisRailings, Wall and Gate Piers to No 9Red Lion Public HouseRoad Bridge over River CoberRoad Frontage Wall to Lismore Including Gate Piers and Water PumpRoad Frontage Walls and Outbuilding to No 4Road Frontage Walls to Meneage HospitalSchoolhouse on North Side of Former National SchoolSchoolhouse on South Side of Former National SchoolScreen Wall and Lodge Cottages at Meneage HospitalStable Building at Rear of No 58 Stable Building at Rear of No 58 Coinagehall StreetStables at Lowertown MillSteps, Railings, Gate Piers and Cross to South East of Church of St MichaelSteps, Walls and Bollards at Sw 6560 2732Sundial Approximately 20 Metres South of West End of Church of St MichaelTerrace Wall in Front of Nos 1 and 3The Andrew HallThe Beehive InnThe Blue Anchor public house and brewhouse to the southThe CottageThe Five Wells Well HeadThe National Westminster BankThe Rodney InnThe Willows and Attached Forecourt Walls and RailingsTregennaTrengrouse Memorial Approximately 10 Metres South of Porch of Church of St MichaelTresprison Cottages and Attached Forecourt Walls and RailingsTrevean and Attached Forecourt WallsTwo K6 Telephone Kiosks Adjacent to GuildhallWall at Rear of No 3Wall to Rear of No 11, Adjoining Footpath to Churchyard (Path Not Included)Wall to Rear of No 13 Adjoining Footpath to Churchyard (Path Not Included)Walls to North West Side of Penrose RoadWalls to South East Side of Penrose RoadWalls, Steps and Drain to Front of Trewhon (Not Included) and to WestWilliams Chest Tomb Approximately 10 Metres West of Church of St Michael1, Church Hill1, Coinagehall Street1, Meneage Street10 and 12, Church Street10, Cross Street11, Lady Street11, Wendron Street111 and 113, Meneage Street115, Meneage Street119 and 121, Meneage Street120, Meneage Street123, Meneage Street123A, Meneage Street125 and 127, Meneage Street13, 15 and 17, Cross Street13, Coinagehall Street14, Church Street15, Meneage Street16 and 18, Church Street16, Godolphin Road16, Meneage Street17 and 19, Meneage Street18 and 20, Godolphin Road18, Meneage Street19 and 21, Wendron Street2, Church Street2, Monument Road2, Wendron Street20, Church Street20, Meneage Street21 and 23, Meneage Street21, 23 and 25, Church Street22, Church Street22, Coinagehall Street23, Coinagehall Street24 and 26, Coinagehall Street24, Godolphin Road26 and 28, Meneage Street27, Coinagehall Street27, Meneage Street27, Wendron Street28-34, Godolphin Road29, Coinagehall Street3 and 4, Monument Road
Conservation areas
1 conservation area covers 10% of Helston
Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.
Helston 196934 ha
34 hain conservation areas, of 338 ha inside the built-up area.
188 of the 209 listed buildings stand in one.
Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.
How the list grew
More than half of Helston’s listed buildings were added in one year, 1972
The year each building now on the list was first listed.
1972 · 1121994 · 521950 · 23
19501960197019801990200020102020
The first 23 entries were listed in 1950. 112 came in 1972, in the national resurvey of the 1970s and 80s. Only 1 has been added in the last 15 years.
Monuments & landscapes
Monuments, parks and gardens
Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.
3 scheduled monuments
Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.
1 registered park or garden
LismoreGrade II
History Grade
Helston grades A for history
Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.
Protected heritage, for its size and in all (228 points, 201 per 10,000 residents)More than 90% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (16%)More than 50% of UK towns
Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.
Born here
6 notable people born in Helston before 1900
Their lives on one timeline, earliest first.
Henry Trengrouse
John Richards
Bob Fitzsimmons
Thomas Henry Holland
Arthur Ralph Middleton Todd
Jack Rogers
175017751800182518501875190019251950
Bob Fitzsimmons1863–1917 · British boxer (1863-1917)
Thomas Henry Holland1868–1947 · British geologist (1868–1947)
JR
Jack Rogers1895–1977 · English footballer (1895-1977)
Henry Trengrouse1772–1854 · British engineer (1772-1854)
JR
John Richards1842–1913 · South Australian politician (1842–1913)
AT
Arthur Ralph Middleton Todd1891–1966 · English painter (1891–1966)
Everyone born in Helston → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.
Towns its size
Helston has the 52nd most Grade I buildings of 637 towns its size
Places of 7,000–18,000 people outside London, by Grade I listed buildings.
Helston2
#46 of 637for listed buildings per resident (184 per 10,000). Brecon, Malmesbury and Ludlow lead.
51 have more. The typical town its size has 0.
Neighbours
Listed buildings in the places around Helston
| Town | People | Listed | Grade I | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helston | 11,366 | 209 | 2 | A |
| Porthleven | 3,118 | 28 | 0 | A− |
| Mullion | 2,148 | 10 | 1 | B− |
| Troon | 1,402 | 3 | 0 | B− |
| Reawla | 1,117 | 12 | 0 | A− |
| Four Lanes | 1,579 | 5 | 0 | B− |
| Stithians | 1,613 | 20 | 0 | A |
| Mawnan Smith | 1,001 | 10 | 0 | B+ |
In brief
Helston in brief
Few towns are as rich in listed heritage as Helston: per resident it has more than 90% of UK towns. In all there are 209 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I, including Trenethick Barton Farmhouse. Only 51 of the 637 towns nearest its size have more Grade I buildings. On Meneage Street alone there are 28 listed buildings.
A conservation area has protected part of it since 1969. Most entries on the list, 56%, are houses, terraces and villas. Of the 6 people born here before 1900, the best known include Bob Fitzsimmons (1863), Thomas Henry Holland (1868) and Jack Rogers (1895). Beyond that, it also has 3 scheduled monuments; and 16% of its homes were built before 1919, close to the 15% in the typical UK town.
Questions about Helston’s history
How many listed buildings are there in Helston?
Historic England lists 209 buildings inside Helston’s built-up area: 2 Grade I, 8 Grade II* and 199 Grade II.
What are the Grade I listed buildings in Helston?
2, including Gatehouse and Adjoining Courtyard Walls Immediately in Front of Trenethick Barton Farmhouse and Trenethick Barton Farmhouse Including Rear Courtyard and Walls and Gateway.
Which street in Helston has the most listed buildings?
Meneage Street (28), Coinagehall Street (17) and Church Street (16) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.
Are there scheduled monuments in Helston?
Yes, 3 scheduled monuments, including Wayside cross and cross slab in St Michael's churchyard, Wayside cross at Trenethick Barton and Wayside cross at the junction between Cross Street and Church Street, Helston.
How many conservation areas are there in Helston?
1, covering about 34 hectares of the town. The largest is Helston.
When were Helston’s buildings listed?
The first in 1950; the most, 112, in 1972.
Are there old photos of Helston?
Yes: 6 public-domain photos and postcards from 1903 to 1920, all on this page.
Who was born in Helston?
Among people born before 1900: Bob Fitzsimmons (1863), Thomas Henry Holland (1868), Jack Rogers (1895), Henry Trengrouse (1772) and John Richards (1842).
How old are the homes in Helston?
16% of homes were built before 1919 and 19% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.
Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.