Sleeping Beauty: The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Deep in the lush countryside of Cornwall, a stone’s throw from Mevagissey, lies a garden that slept for nearly a century. Heligan was once one of Cornwall’s finest estates, home to the Tremayne family, cultivated and cared for by an army of gardeners.

Then, in 1914, the workforce marched off to war, the gardens were left to grow wild and Heligan was lost.

Fast-forward to the 1990s when businessman Tim Smit learned Heligan’s history and, with the support of volunteers, set about restoring it.

Today the gardens are the same as they were at the turn of the 20th century, and this Sleeping Beauty is no longer hidden behind an impenetrable forest of twisted roots and branches.

Year round nature

Heligan’s 200 acres are a natural paradise for families, explorers, nature-lovers and romantics, whatever the season.

We visited these colourful gardens on a blustery day in March and were captivated.

The gardens are home to ancient rhododendrons and camellias, and the formal flower borders are glorious all year round.

A series of lakes are fed by a pump which is more than a century old.

The fruit and vegetable garden is fascinating, complete with a fully restored pineapple pit producing fruits using the old manure-and-straw hothouse system.

The Jungle is a wild area, filled with tropical ferns, and the Italian garden is an oasis of calm and beauty.

Family fun at Heligan

The woodland walk is full of surprises, where a Giant’s Head, the Mud Maid and a mysterious Grey Lady, wait to be discovered.

Heligan’s farm has been awarded Rare Breed status, one of just 23 in the whole of the UK. North Devon, White Park and Highland cattle are raised here along with the local Devon and Cornwall Longwool sheep.

Chickens, ducks and geese roam the orchard, under old varieties of Cornish apple trees, and you might even be able to spot the rare native black bee in the hives.

And there are lots of pigs, allowed to forage freely in the fields and woodlands.

In The Jungle, swinging rope bridges span little creeks and crevasses, and children will love the woodland themed play area.

Throughout the year, Heligan puts on events for all the family, including special attractions at Halloween and Christmas.

The lost people of Heligan

At the heart of the Lost Gardens is the story of the people who lived and worked there. The Head Gardener’s office and the old potting shed look like staff have just that moment left to go about their daily work.

Researchers have traced the fate of nearly all of those who left their mark. Most died in active service during the first World War and their loss was the main reason for the gardens decline.

All around the gardens, tucked away among the fruits and flowers, are touching memorials with individual stories etched on local slate plaques.

WW1 memorial

Most poignant of all is the outside toilet – the ‘Thunderbox’.

Here the graffiti is no crude toilet humour. Instead, you can just make out the words ‘Don’t come here to sleep or slumber’.

Below that is the date August 1914, and the signatures of all the kitchen gardeners who left their safe world in Cornwall for the battlefields of France and Flanders.

Only four of them returned.

The future of Heligan

Sustainably managed for biodoversity, the Lost Gardens of Heligan are thriving in the 21st century.

And yet, a small part of the garden has been left exactly as it was during its wild time, with roots snaking across rutted paths and huge branches, twisted and gnarled.

Reaching out as if to say Mother Nature could reclaim it once more.

More information about the Lost Gardens of Heligan

The gardens are open daily from 10am to 6pm.
Pre-booking is advised, but tickets are not refundable unless extreme weather forces them to close.
So dress for the weather and enjoy your visit. We spent a lovely day at Heligan despite the cold March wind and will certainly return.
The Heligan Kitchen opens at 9am and there are plenty of food options available, most of the ingredients coming from the estate itself – not so much food miles as food metres!
For ticket prices, directions and special events see The Lost Gardens of Heligan

All photographs copyright ©rosemaryandporkbelly

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Where to next?
• The Eden Project – another Tim Smit development.
• Wheal Martyn Museum, Cornwall
• Wings over Sussex