Helston was one of Cornwall’s two urban places at the time of Domesday book (1086) when inhabitants were paying a food render to their lord in ale. The town received a charter in 1201 and was west Cornwall’s principal town in medieval times. It became a coinage town in 1492.

Population 1861: 4,000
Population 2011: 11,200
Planned population 2031: 14,000
