Cotehele
saltash
Cotehele is one of the least altered medieval and Tudor houses in England, set high above the River Tamar in east Cornwall.
Gardens in Cornwall
Cornwall's mild, frost-free climate supports plants from around the world. 13 gardens open to the public, from the Eden Project's tropical biomes to 200-acre Victorian estates.
Cornwall grows things that have no business growing in Britain. The Gulf Stream keeps the peninsula frost-free, and the combination of high rainfall, shelter from Atlantic wind, and acid soil has produced some of the finest gardens in the country. Over 70 are open to the public; the 13 listed here are the most rewarding.
The Eden Project near St Austell is the most visited, with two biomes built inside a former china clay quarry - one replicating a tropical rainforest, the other a Mediterranean climate. Outside the biomes, the terraced gardens, outdoor exhibitions, and summer concert series add reason to return in different seasons.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan cover 200 acres near Mevagissey and tell one of gardening’s better stories: a Victorian estate abandoned after the First World War, rediscovered in 1990, and restored over the following decades. The Jungle valley - sheltered, steep, planted with giant tree ferns and banana palms - is unlike anywhere else in the country.
Trebah Garden drops 60 metres down a wooded ravine to a private beach on the Helford River. The path passes through stands of 100-year-old gunnera, koi ponds, and hydrangeas in summer flower. Trelissick, on a promontory above the Fal Estuary, has the views and the National Trust infrastructure to match. Both gardens are within 15 miles of Falmouth.
Pencarrow House and Gardens near Wadebridge holds over 400 varieties of rhododendrons and camellias, at their best from March through May. A Victorian rockery, an Italian garden, and a 2,000-year-old Iron Age hillfort are connected by woodland paths on the same estate. Dogs are welcome throughout.
Most Cornwall gardens are open year-round, though hours reduce in winter. Spring (March to May) is peak flowering season; autumn brings colour and markedly smaller crowds.
Glendurgan Garden
mawnan smith
Glendurgan Garden fills three valleys running down to the Helford River at the hamlet of Durgan, near Mawnan Smith.
Godolphin House
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Godolphin is a Grade I listed estate tucked into the countryside between Helston and Marazion, managed by the National Trust.
Lanhydrock House and Garden
Step into History, Explore the Gardens.
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Lanhydrock House and Garden is a magnificent historic estate located near Bodmin in Cornwall, England.
Mount Edgcumbe House & Country Park
Grade I listed Tudor house and 865 acres of parkland overlooking Plymouth Sound.
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Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park sits on the Rame Peninsula at the southeastern tip of Cornwall, its 865 acres of parkland and formal gardens commanding views across Plymouth Sound to Drake's Island and the Devon coast.
Pencarrow House & Gardens
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Pencarrow has been the family home of the Molesworth-St Aubyns for almost 500 years, and the 50-room Georgian mansion remains privately owned.
Pinetum Gardens
A Celebration of Nature's Beauty
st austell
Pinetum Gardens is a delightful botanical garden located near St Austell in Cornwall, England.
Prideaux Place
Discover the Splendor of History
padstow
Prideaux Place is a historic Elizabethan manor house located in Padstow, Cornwall, England. It is situated on a hill overlooking Padstow and the Camel Estuary.
St Michael's Mount
Iconic tidal island with a medieval castle and subtropical gardens.
marazion
St Michael's Mount is one of Cornwall's most recognisable landmarks, a dramatic tidal island rising from Mount's Bay that is crowned by a medieval castle and chapel.
The Eden Project
World-famous biomes and gardens exploring the relationship between people and plants.
st austell
The Eden Project is one of Cornwall's most visited attractions, a dramatic complex of giant biomes set inside a former china clay quarry near St Austell.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Restored Victorian pleasure gardens and jungle valley near Mevagissey.
mevagissey
The Lost Gardens of Heligan tell one of the great restoration stories of British horticulture.
Trebah Garden
Where Beauty Blooms and History Flourishes
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Spread over 26 acres, Trebah Garden occupies a sheltered ravine that drops down to a private beach on the Helford River.
Trelissick Garden
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Trelissick sits on its own peninsula about 4 miles south of Truro, overlooking the Fal estuary and the Roseland beyond.