HellandCornwall

Helland at a glance

Helland: a small parish on the River Camel, 2.5 miles north of Bodmin

Helland is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, about 2.5 miles north of Bodmin. The parish had 204 residents at the 2011 census and covers about 2,483 acres. Its Cornish name is Hellann, and the meaning of the name is unclear, though it may come from Cornish words meaning old church.

The Domesday Book calls the village Henland and records five households. Helland Bridge, a Grade II listed structure, was built in the early 15th century and crosses the River Camel. Lancarffe, a Grade II* listed house, was probably built in the 17th century. The Giffard family were medieval patrons of the rectory and lived near the church.

The parish church is dedicated to St Helena, the mother of Constantine I, although the original dedication is unknown. It has a chancel, nave and south aisle, is pre Norman in origin and has stonework thought to be mostly 13th century. The tower has a pyramidal roof and became ruinous in the mid 17th century.

Humphrey Arundell, who led the Prayer Book Rebellion in 1549, is associated with the parish. So is Robert Glynn, a physician born in 1719 who was known as a generous eccentric.