Gardens in Cornwall to Visit This Season
Cornwall's Must-Visit Gardens: A Guide from The Headland
Cornwall's gardens are some of the best in the country.
Whether you're with us for a long weekend or a full week, here are the ones we'd recommend you visit from The Headland.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Near Mevagissey, PL26 6EN
Approximately 50 minutes from The Headland
The Lost Gardens of Heligan is an award-winning 200-acre garden set on the south coast of Cornwall.
Created between the mid-18th and early 20th centuries by the Cornish Tremayne family, it fell into disrepair after World War I, when most of the estate's gardeners left to fight and did not return.
It was rediscovered by chance in the early 1990s and restored to produce what's now one of the most atmospheric places in Cornwall.
Wander through a steep ravine of tree ferns, bamboo tunnels and banana plants, and you'd be forgiven for forgetting you're in the South West of England.
Beyond that, the productive walled gardens, the wildflower meadows, the working kitchen garden and the farm all make Heligan a full-day destination. Dogs are welcome on leads.
The Eden Project
Bodelva, St Austell, PL24 2SG
Approximately 45 minutes from the Headland
The Eden Project is set inside a former china clay pit near St Austell; what was once an industrial wasteland has been transformed into one of the world's great horticultural landmarks.
The Rainforest Biome features the largest indoor rainforest. Step inside and you're surrounded by banana plants, rubber trees, coffee bushes and a canopy walkway that takes you up through the treetops.
The Mediterranean biome is quieter and fragrant with olive groves, citrus trees and sun-drenched terraces.
Eden is also home to regular concerts and events throughout the year, so check the programme before you visit.
Trebah Garden
Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, TR11 5JZ
Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from the Headland
Trebah is tucked into a valley that runs down to a private beach on the Helford River. It’s one of Cornwall's great subtropical gardens.
The Helford's mild, sheltered microclimate has allowed 100-year-old tree ferns, 25-metre rhododendrons and giant gunnera to grow.
Walk from the gardens down to the beach at Polgwidden Cove, and you'll find it hard to believe you're in the UK.
Glendurgan Garden
Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, TR11 5JZ
Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from the Headland
Glendurgan is a National Trust garden that was created in the 1820s by Alfred Fox; the garden runs down a valley to the hamlet of Durgan on the Helford River.
The famous laurel maze is one of the oldest in Britain, planted in 1833 and is an absolute favourite with children.
Through the spring months, the valley fills with flowering camellias, magnolias and bluebells, and the views down to the estuary are some of the finest you'll find anywhere in Cornwall.
Lanhydrock
Bodmin, PL30 5AD
Approximately 35 minutes from The Headland.
Lanhydrock is one of Cornwall's best National Trust estates. A formal parterre sits below the house itself, with bronze urns and clipped topiary that dates back to Victorian times.
Beyond that, the woodland garden opens up into rhododendrons, magnolias and specimen trees spread across the hillside, with bluebells in spring.
Lanhydrock also holds the National Collection of crocosmias, and the kitchen garden is worth a visit in its own right.
If you have energy left after the gardens, the house is one of the most complete Victorian country houses in Britain.
Caerhays Castle Garden
Gorran, St Austell, PL26 6LY
Approximately 45 minutes from the Headland
The Caerhays estate sits on the south coast of Cornwall, and the gardens around this castle have been home to some of the finest magnolia, camellia and rhododendron collections.
Between February and late April, the gardens are at their best. The castle itself opens in March and April and is well worth going inside.
St Michael's Mount
Marazion, TR17 0HS
Approximately 1 hour 40 minutes from The Headland
St Michael’s Mount is as much a historic landmark as a garden, but the terraced gardens of this tidal island are extraordinary enough to make the list.
Agaves, succulents and aloes are commonly found here. You'll cross to the mount either on foot across the cobbled causeway at low tide or by boat at high tide.
The castle offers views across Mount's Bay on a clear day. The gardens are managed by the National Trust and are open from spring through autumn.
Pencarrow House & Gardens
Washaway, Bodmin, PL30 3AG
Approximately 30 minutes from The Headland.
Pencarrow is a slightly quieter alternative to the big-name gardens and a lovely choice too. The approach along a mile-long carriage drive is lined with rhododendrons, camellias and ancient beech trees.
The 50-acre gardens are set around an elegant Georgian house that has been in the Molesworth-St Aubyn family for over 500 years.
There are formal Italian terraces, a granite rockery, an ice house and miles of woodland walks. Pencarrow is also dog-friendly and has a well-regarded café.
Planning Your Garden Visits from the Headland
The gardens above range from a 30-minute drive to about an hour and three-quarters, all perfectly achievable as a day out. Spring is unquestionably the finest season for colour, but they’re all worth the visit year-round.
If you'd like recommendations tailored to your interests, the time of year, or how far you'd like to travel, our concierge team would be delighted to help.
