Gweek

Gweek is a village at the head of the Helford River, about 3 miles east of Helston. The river becomes tidal at Gweek and the village has a working boatyard and a quay where the creek narrows. The Cornish Seal Sanctuary is based here, operating as a rescue and rehabilitation centre for grey seals found injured on Cornish beaches; it is open to visitors year-round and cares for resident grey and common seals alongside the pups it rehabilitates each season.

The Helford River, with its network of wooded creeks and tidal inlets, extends east from Gweek to the river mouth near Helford Passage and Durgan. The creeks are popular for kayaking and sailing. Gweek Classic Boatyard stores and repairs boats and has a chandlery and a cafe, and the drying channel up to Gweek means paddlers need to plan around the tide. The ancient oak woodland along the creek sides is covered in mosses and ferns, creating a distinctly humid, sheltered atmosphere. Frenchman’s Creek, the most famous of the Helford inlets, is about 3 miles downstream.

Helston, with its Flora Day tradition in May and a full range of shops and services, is 3 miles west. The Lizard coast at Goonhilly Down and Mullion is about 6 miles south. Holiday accommodation in Gweek is in cottages and farm buildings, popular with families visiting the Seal Sanctuary and with those wanting easy access to the Helford by boat.