Great Gardens Of Cornwall

Itinerary

Day 1, Friday 28 April, Traveling to Cornwall

Getting to Cornwall is quite a drive but so absolutely worth it to visit these beautiful locations. To make the journey pleasant and in typical Wisteria style we will take an extended lunch break at a lovely destination giving us time to stretch our legs and mingle over a delicious lunch. We plan to arrive for check-in to The Falmouth Hotel around 16.00 (traffic permitting), allowing you time to unpack and have a stroll on the seafront before we gather for dinner.

Day 2, Saturday 29 April, Trebah Garden & Glendurgan Garden National Trust

Today we have a leisurely start and a short hop to both destinations. We will get immersed into our garden heaven straight away with an introductory talk at Trebah Garden.

Trebah Garden is a sub-tropical paradise with a stunning coastal backdrop. Discover the magic of this beautiful 26 acre Cornish valley garden, with over four miles of footpaths. Explore under canopies bursting with exotic blooms and follow vibrant tunnels of colour that cascade down to Trebah’s very own secluded beach on the Helford River. In Spring Trebah will be alive with a colourful array of 100-year-old rhododendrons, magnolias and camellias.

In the afternoon there are three valleys of Glendurgan Garden to lose yourself in, full of fun, informality, where a beautiful and intriguing blend of exotic and native plants thrive. Stroll down through the peaceful, exotic and playful valley to a sheltered beach at the bottom.

Big leaves and exotic flowers thrive in the jungle-like lower valley and sun-loving specimens enjoy the upper banks. In spring thousands of wildflowers carpet the sloping sides of this steep valley. Wandering through the garden leads down to the unspoilt hamlet of Durgan on the Helford River – a place to watch birds and boats, skim stones and build sandcastles.

Day 3, Sunday 30 April, The Lost Gardens of Heligan

With over 200 acres to explore our visit starts with an introductory talk by one of the Heligan team covering the past, present and future of the gardens.

The story of The Lost Gardens and their continued restoration must be one of the most heart-warming in gardening history. At the end of the nineteenth century Heligan’s thousand acres were at their zenith but, only a few years later brambles and ivy were already reclaiming the gardens. The estate workforce left this paradise to fight in the trenches of the 1914-18 war and sadly, many never returned.

25-years ago the Gardens were rediscovered. Now they are part of an ongoing, award-winning restoration project and the gardens are once again loved and appreciated by the gardeners and visitors alike.

Over 200 acres are now a paradise for the explorer, wildlife, plant lover and garden romantic. The Victorian Productive Gardens and Pleasure Grounds beckon, along winding paths laid out over two centuries ago. The Jungle takes you on a sub-tropical journey through bamboo tunnels and under majestic tree ferns, giant rhubarb and bananas whilst the estate reveals a lost world of traditional and rare breeds, wildlife and ancient woodlands.

Arriving back in Falmouth at 15.30 there is time to enjoy this lovely town or just relax and enjoy the hotel facilities.

Day 4, Monday 01 May, Trelissick House & Garden, National Trust and Bonython Estate Gardens

This morning we have a short coach journey and an introductory talk to Trelissick House & Garden, set on its own peninsula commanding an impressive position with panoramic views over the Fal estuary.

In this classic Cornish garden camellias, rhododendrons and magnolias are the undeniable stars of the moment. The Spring Walk near the house is the perfect place to see many of them at their best, under planted with hellebores and the gorgeous spring flowering bulbs. The majestic specimen, Rhododendron at the top of the main lawn, will be covered in crimson blooms

The Cornish orchard, overlooked by the beautiful water tower, is a peaceful place to enjoy. Originally planted over 20 years ago, to preserve a number of local apple varieties and increase the biodiversity of the garden.

In the afternoon we head off to England’s southernmost peninsula to The Bonython Estate Garden, magnificent in spring with traditional Cornish rhododendrons, azaleas, woodland flowers and bulbs. Remodelled in recent years to include a contemporary water feature behind the delightful Georgian house. Stroll through an eighteenth century Walled Garden with colour-themed herbaceous borders, a traditional Potager Garden and an orchard of Cornish variety apple trees, on through parkland to a series of small lakes with a stream cascade in a sheltered valley.

Each lake has a different atmosphere and planting. The first tranquil with specimen trees and shrubs reflected in the water. The second vibrant from the hot, South African summer garden, and the third mysterious, with its cool, ghostly quarry lake with creeper clad cliffs, fernery and surrounding bamboos.

Naturally, such a stunning spot deserves to be savoured over a cup of tea or coffee, accompanied by a lovely slice of cake!

Day 5, Tuesday 02 May, Knightshayes National Trust

As we depart Cornwall to return to our beautiful county we will break our journey in Tiverton, Devon to visit one final ‘must see’ garden gem. Discover Knightshayes – a great post-war garden, 19th-century parkland and grand Gothic Revival architecture by Victorian visionary William Burges, whose lavish designs have always inspired extremes of opinion. Full of quirks and curiosities, it is a house of many faces.

The formal and woodland garden is one of the finest and most varied plant collections in the country. With over 1200 plant species unique to Knightshayes and an ever changing display, it’s always worth a visit, as is the walled kitchen garden, brimming with seasonal produce for the Stables Café. Out in the parkland, there are woodland walks if you want to stride out before we board the coach for our return journey.

For your comfort we are limiting seats to approximately 40 on this tour.

Included in the cost is:

This tour is accompanied by sisters Jacky and Sue Burnell to make sure you have a wonderful break from start to finish.

Return coach travel with fabulous Lakeside Coaches with pickups from Ellesmere, Shrewsbury and Telford
Transport to all destinations during the tour
4-night’s dinner, bed and breakfast at the Falmouth Hotel with access to the leisure facilities
Lunch on Day 1, Friday 28 April, as we travel to Cornwall
Admission into all venues on the itinerary
Introductory talks at Trebah Gardens, Trelissick House & Gardens, The Lost Gardens of Heligan and Knightshayes House & Garden
Tea or coffee and cake at Bonython Estate Gardens
Gratuity for the hotel staff.

PRICING FOR THIS TOUR

Sole Occupancy

A compact double room for sole occupancy is £1250.

Twin or Double Occupancy

2 people sharing a twin or double room is £1115 per person.

National Trust Members with membership cards save £45 per person which is deducted on booking.

£50.00 non-refundable deposit payable on booking. Full payment due Friday 06 January 2023.

And finally…

Some of the gardens on this tour are in valleys and have steep slopes. See the Mobility & Accessibility section further down this page where we have put links to the gardens that provide details on getting around.

You are strongly advised to take out your own travel insurance to cover you for any emergency or cancellation or loss of luggage etc.

On occasion we may have to make changes to this itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control and you will be informed as soon as possible.

The Falmouth Hotel

Often referred to as ‘The Grand Old Dame’, The Falmouth Hotel boasts castle-like Victorian architecture, spacious interiors and a fantastic seafront location. With its leisure facilities and award-winning food using only the best locally sourced produce, this is one of Cornwall’s best-known hotels.

Owned by the Richardson family it offers guests a tradition of genuine hospitality in a beautiful location. Steeped in history it opened in 1865 as Isambard Kingdom Brunel expanded the Great Western Railway into Cornwall.

Mobility & Accessibility Information

This information is taken from the venue websites. For full details hover over the name of the garden and click and you will go to the garden’s website.

Trebah Garden

As a valley garden, the route down and back up is very steep and therefore manual wheel chairs are not recommended.

Trebah continually works to ensure that all visitors can gain the most from their visit and have the best possible access to our facilities and services. The Visitor Centre is fully accessible, on a single level and contains no steps. It is situated at the top of a valley garden that drops to a beach below.

If you have any access needs, including using your own mobility scooter, please call Trebah on 01326 252200 to discuss.

Glendurgan Garden

Glendurgan Garden is set within the landscape with pathways consisting of loose gravel paths, cobbled in sections with some steep slopes and steps and uneven ground. See full details in the document in the garden access statement on this link, https://nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/documents/access-guide/1431730027237-glendurgan-garden.pdf

Lost Gardens of Heligan

The Gardens are spread over a 200 acres estate. Approximately 13 acres of this can be accessed via even paths including; Productive Gardens, Pleasure Grounds and Home Farm as well as access to the Steward’s House. The Gardens lie on a gentle downhill gradient.

The Jungle and Wider Estate are unfortunately not easily accessible to everyone. The gradients of the pathways to these areas are very steep and sometimes the route involves wooden boardwalk and steps. For this reason and your safety, we kindly ask wheelchair users and those of unstable footing to refrain from entering these areas.

The Ticket Office has free garden maps and Accessible Heligan maps, which will help you to get an idea of the site and its size. For our latest acces map please click here.

Wheelchair & mobility scooter loan

Manual wheelchairs are available to borrow, free of charge, from our Visitor Reception on a first-come, first-served basis.

Two mobility scooters are available in two time slots: from 10am to 1pm and from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. Pre-booking is advisable by phoning us on 01726 845100, although bookings are taken a maximum of four weeks in advance. Our mobility scooters are Rascal – Pioneer models which are capable of carrying up to 159kg and can be used to explore the Productive and Ornamental Gardens, Home Farm, Stewards House and Wildlife Hide. These scooters and are not suitable to be used within the Jungle, Lost Valley and some of the more rugged areas within the Heligan Estate.

Trelissick Garden

Trelissick is surrounded on three sides by the River Fal, a tidal estuary. Caution is advised around the water. There are steep drops on the banks to the river which is very deep in places with strong currents and tides.

Trelissick house has ramped access to the house and only the ground floor of the house is open to all visitors. Wheelchair use is suitable throughout the ground floor and café areas. It is unsuitable for larger mobility scooters and trampers.

Bonython Estate Gardens

The whole garden is accessible and the slopes are gentle. Visitors can choose different routes but as a large garden (of around twenty acres) it does take some time to see all the features.

Knightshayes House & Garden

The parkland and gardens are on a gradient which means there are steep slopes and paths. A step free route map is available. Please see full details on the Access Statement on the website.

Tour Information

This tour is fully booked. Complete the Expression of Interest Form to join the waiting list.

Fully Booked