Why is it called Frenchman’s Creek?
We’re often asked this question — and no, it’s not just because of Daphne du Maurier’s famous novel. In fact, when she sailed down the creek on her honeymoon in the 1930s, it was already called Frenchman’s Creek. The beauty and mystery of the place simply inspired her to write her romantic pirate tale.
So where did the name really come from?
Over the years, we’ve heard several stories — each adding to the allure of this secretive, muddy, tree-lined inlet.
1. The Smokehouse Theory
At the top of the creek once stood an old smokehouse. Legend has it that French fishermen would stop here to smoke their catch before sailing back to France — only 24 hours away in a good boat. Back then, French fishing boats were a common sight in Cornish waters.
The smokehouse at the top of Frenchman’s Creek
2. The Smuggler’s Tale
Or perhaps it was French smugglers who gave the creek its name — using it to stash tobacco, brandy, lace, and other contraband out of sight of customs men. The smokehouse would have made an excellent hiding place.
3. A French Ship?
Some suggest the name refers not to a man, but a ship. In 15th-century records, “Frenchman” was sometimes used to describe a French vessel — perhaps one that found shelter here during stormy times.
A tall ship recently moored up on the Helford River, perhaps like the boat named ;Frenchman’
4. The Tithe Map Clue
On the 1841 Tithe Map, the creek is called Treveder Creek, named after Trevidor Farm on its western bank. But a field nearby is marked Frenchman’s Close, which may have belonged to a tenant nicknamed “The Frenchman.” Across the creek is another small field — Noddy’s Garden — suggesting local names often stuck. Could the name have grown from there?
5. The Soldier’s Refuge
Another theory ties the name to the Napoleonic Wars — when French soldiers, escaping capture or shipwreck, may have hidden here in the shelter of the woods and muddy banks.
Our favourite? The smokehouse story — once used to preserve fish, now a handy storage spot for fishing gear. But maybe, just maybe, it also hid barrels of brandy in the dead of night…
Frenchman’s Creek has always cast a spell. From artists like Percy ‘Powder’ Thurburn and Kurt Jackson, to musicians like Kylie Minogue — who filmed her video “Flower” on the now-famous Kylie Tree, a horizontal trunk jutting across the creek.
Kylie Minogue in her pop video ‘Flower’ filmed on Frenchman’s Creek
And of course, novelist Daphne du Maurier, who gave it its romantic reputation.
So, what will inspire you when you join us on a Helford River Cruise along Frenchman’s Creek?
