Porthleven is a village, civil parish and fishing port in the Kerrier district of Cornwall, United Kingdom, near
Helston. It is the most southerly port on the island of Great Britain 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.
Porthleven has exploited its location and exposure to powerful swells to become one of the best-known and highly-regarded surfing spots in Britain. 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, and there is a road named in his memory. Former motor racing driver Chris Craft - who competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race for over a decade, including a third-placed finish in 1976, as well as two races in Formula One - was born in Porthleven.
Arguably, Porthleven's most recognisable building is the Bickford-Smith Institute which is next to the pier and harbour entrance. With a tower of about 70 foot in height, it has the appearance of a church but currently is used as a snooker club and houses the town council offices. It featured (along with various other scenes from the village) as the incident room in an episode of the TV detective series Wycliffe.
