A Wedge of Culture

There’s a place in England, known as Cornwall, which can be found on the

south- western tip of Great Britain. Bordered on each side by the Atlantic Ocean,

the English Channel, and Devon County, this picturesque region is known for its

stunning countryside and isolation from the rest of the country. In Cornwall, you

will find a small town called Helford Passage, a quaint, sleepy, little sailing town

that was once an important port on the Helford River. Known for its lush

landscape and laid back lifestyle, the town is filled with colorful holiday cottages,

gardens, and a pub. Complete with rolling hills, meadows, creeks and a beach

Cornwall was made famous by Daphne du Maurier who sat atop Frenchman’s

Creek, located on the Helford River, as she wrote her famous novel, inspired by

the beloved Cornwall where she lived.

Nikki Bailey, a resident of Oxford in England has been coming to Helford

Passage since 1967. What she remembers and enjoys most about her time there

as a young adult was experiencing lots of freedom and being able to explore the

land. Now, she enjoys exploring Cornwall, walking, boating, and having fun with

old friends. She and her husband, John, bought a flat in Helford Passage 26 years

ago, because they wanted to spend more time there. “We visit as often as possible

and we always stay as long as possible.”

Helford Passage today remains as unspoiled as it was back then.

“It’s off the beaten track. This place takes a little bit longer to find and get

to along all the winding lanes so therefore it’s just a bit different for that reason I

think,” Nikki recounts.

There is only one way into the town, a tiny, winding, one lane road, only

big enough for one car. The only pub in town, the famous Ferryboat Inn is located

right on the waterfront and remains open at all times of the day. Known as the

anchor of the town, families stop in for lunch while others go to meet friends or

simply have a quick pint in the afternoon before dinner.

“People all sort of sit around the pub. That’s the local meeting place and

that’s where people tend to get together to talk about their boats, meet up and eat

and drink. It’s just a very relaxed atmosphere because everyone is in a place of

natural beauty so therefore they’re quite chill and relaxed,” Nikki says.

Inside the pub, the traveler can find many regional specialties to satisfy

one’s appetite. The Cornish pasty, a meat and vegetable pie rolled into a pastry,

followed by a Cornish ice cream, a rich yellow ice cream with buttermilk is a

perfect way to end any day. Cornish cream tea, scones with clotted cream and jam

washed down by a pot of tea is the typical dish served at tea in the late afternoon.

The town has grown increasingly popular with tourists and vacationers.

Holiday flats and cottages line the road, right on the edge of a steep cliff

overlooking the moorings where hundreds of multicolored sailboats float

languidly in the peaceful waters. The climate remains warmer than most of

England, because of its location on the southernmost point of England and it is

safely protected by the relatively warm Gulf Stream ocean current. Helford

Passage is protected from the open sea by the river and the town remains within

sight of the mouth of the river's estuary. Pirates once stopped in the port, and

tales of smuggling and piracy are still told today.

Up above the village one can see the Headlands, or cliffs that run right

down to the river. The South West Coastal path offers hikers a different way to

enjoy the sights of Cornwall and variety of the region. The Cornish section of the

path offers views of beaches, towns, cliffs, and fisheries and is said to be one of

the most scenic parts of the path. “It’s a beautiful walk that takes you all the way

around the coast of Cornwall. If you wanted to walk it, obviously it’s quite a long

way, but it’s absolutely stunning,” Nikki says.

A short walk from the pub down the stony gray beach will take one to the

ferry. Nick and Sarah Bailey, residents of Cornwall, now own Helford River

Boats, which provide boat hire, ferry services, and moorings on the Helford

River. Nick and Sarah were married here in Cornwall and have lived here with

their family for four years. Sarah has lived in Cornwall all of her life and now

raises her three young children where she grew up. Her favorite memory is going

on the ferry from Helford to Helford Passage as a young child. “It’s a quaint,

Cornish cove; very idyllic,” she says.

Perhaps her favorite thing about Helford Passage is the scenery. “I love the

view, as you come down the hill, and you see the view across the river,” she

describes.

While Nick is busy as the ferryman, Sarah runs Sarah’s Shop, a nautically

themed boutique located in the courtyard right off the main road. She specializes

in Cornish, organic and fairly traded goods that vary from homemade crafts, local

art, children’s clothes and food.

Nick is in charge of running the ferry, and all that this water based job

entails. The lease to the beach was bought from the Duchy of Cornwall, run by the

Duke of Cornwall, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. When Nick moved to

Cornwall permanently, he was in need of a job. “Obviously we looked at it but

were a bit scared to take it on because it’s quite a big commitment, but I thought

the challenge would be great fun,” Nick says.

The ferry, which links the north and south shores of Helford and Helford

Passage, has been running continuously since the Middle Ages and was

considered a fundamental link to provide transportation for traders to get to the

market to sell their goods. Now, customers use the ferry mainly for pleasure and

can hop on to visit the villages of Cornwall or go to the gardens at Trebah and

Glendurgan. The ferry is an essential part of Helford Passage, as many activites

revolve around sailing and the water and it operates for a seven-month season

beginning April 1, or Good Friday until October 31st.

“When I was young, because I loved Helford Passage so much, I was the

ferryman when I was 18, 19 and 20 and during my summer holidays away from

school and college. That’s really when I fell in love with the ferry and just being

on the water so much,” Nick recounts.

There isn’t much of a town in the winter, as no boats are out on the

moorings and only about 40 residents live in the town year round. The view and

town are said to be completely different during the town’s off-season. The days

are shorter and the town is quiet, as it reverts back into a drowsy hamlet.

Families have been coming to this corner of Cornwall for three or four

generations, and many have decided to move there permanently. Helford

Passage’s oldest living resident died recently at the age of 93. He had lived in the

town his entire life, was completely eccentric, but said hello to everyone.

“It’s just the most remote and isolated place, but there is still a huge sense

of community. It’s the most wonderful place. I love the scenery. I love the

location; I think it’s absolutely stunning,” Nick gushes with pride.

It’s something that can’t really be explained through words, one needs to

experience it first hand. Helford Passage is perhaps, Britain’s best kept secret,

where life moves a little bit slower and children are set free to run loose in the

meadows. Nothing seems to change in this town, and perhaps nothing will as it is

left for the next generation to enjoy. Carefree summers are spent lazily sailing

around the river or taking the ferry to nearby villages. And as the days pass by

and summer slowly turns to fall, people will depart and all that can be heard in

the quiet left behind are the cries of seagulls and the boat riggings flapping in the

wind as the thoughts of next summer aren’t far behind.