Porthleven
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Porthleven is a fishing village near Helston in Cornwall. It is the most southerly port in mainland Britain [1] and was originally developed as a harbour of refuge, when this part of the Cornish coastline was recognised as a black spot for wrecks in days of sail. Nearby Loe Bar was particularly infamous.
Due to the prevailing westerly winds it was very easy for a ship under sail to become entrapped within the bay and be cast up on the rocks which made up the small fishing coves of Mullion, Kynance and the Lizard.
Historically and for local-government purposes, Porthleven was included within the town boundaries of nearby Helston. After years of growth, it now has its own town council. Its population in 2001 recorded by the UK census was 3,190. [2]
Including tourists and surfers would swell that number considerably. Porthleven has exploited its location and exposure to powerful swells to become one of the best-known and highly-regarded surfing spots in England. Waves regularly exceeding 2 metres break on the shallow reef that was shaped by blasting the harbour.
Porthleven was the home town of the Dambusters' Commanding Officer, Guy Gibson.