St Michael

The parish church of St Michael overlooking the town of Helston was built in 1756-1763 at the expense of the Earl of Godolphin to replace an earlier structure that burnt down after being struck by lightning. It was designed by Thomas Edwards of Greenwich, a pupil of Nicholas Hawksmoor, and the interior strongly resembles the church of St Alphege in Greenwich, London which Hawksmoor designed and where Edwards is buried.

A granite porch was added in 1830 to accommodate a staircase up to a gallery, since removed. Features of interest in the church include Elizabethan brasses, a vast chandelier of 1762 with 24 branches, given by the Earl of Golophin when the building was completed, and the restored original 18th century east window mounted on the wall over the entrance door. Its replacement at the east end of the church is in modern (1938) glass by G Krugar Gray and includes two angels dancing the Floral Dance, which takes place in Helston every year in early May.

On the north wall are three figures of Jesus, Mary and John, originally part of a rood screen by Martin Travers which was removed in a 1970s reordering. In the surrounding churchyard there are many granite memorials and tombs with huge lettering characteristic of a mining area, and a number of cast iron grave plates. Opposite the south entrance to the church is a stone memorial to Henry Trengrouse (1772-1854), a resident of Helston who invented the rocket propelled breeches buoy which saved many lives of sailors and passengers from coastal shipwrecks.