Lost Gardens of Heligan

Heligan has been  the seat of the Tremayne family for more than 400 years. At the end of the 19th century  its 1000 acres were at their best, but only a few years later bramble and ivy were already drawing a green veil over it. After decades of neglect, the devastating hurricane of 1990 should have consigned the Lost Gardens of Heligan to history, but instead events conspired to bring bring the gardens back to life in every sense and to tell, for the first time, not tales of lords and ladies but of the “ordinary” people who had made these gardens great, before departing for the Great War. The aim is for Heligan to remain a living and working example of the best of past practice, offering public access into the heart of what they do.  Their focus is to work with nature, accepting and respecting it and protecting and enhancing the variety of habitats as well as the wide range of wild flora and fauna ithin the gardens and estate. The Horsemoor Hide, their Wildlife Interpretation Centre, carries ‘Live’ images of Heligan wildlife on plasma screens, drawing you into the dramas of life in the natural world in an intimate and unedited manner, as they occur, right here on our site.  These close-up views of the life cycles of some of the creatures with who share this countryside can offer valuable insights into the factors accounting for success or failure in the wild. They have ongoing restoration work and this or adverse weather conditions may restrict access or opening times for safety reasons. Details of specific restrictions will appear in the Daily Notice Board. The Heligan Shop complies with Sunday Trading Regulations throughout the year, and is closed on Easter Sunday.
	Pond at Heligan  roger geach
	Flora's Green rhododendron tree

So what can you see and do on a visit:

Northern Gardens - In excess of 200 acres of working Victorian gardens with a complex of walled gardens including - pineapple pits, melon, citrus, peach and vine houses, productive gardens which are intensively cultivated together with glasshouses, all a 2 acre productive Kitchen Garden within the walled gardens continue to grow exotic fruits while the vegetable garden shows off traditional varieties. Pleasure Grounds - have an unusual range of structures and unexpected features including New Zealand and Italian Gardens, summer houses and pools, herbaceous border, rocky ravine, crystal grotto and a wishing well. These are all linked by a network of walks lined with Rhododendrons, Camellias and other flower shrubs which means it is in bloom for six months of every year.

Glasshouse Within Walled Garden    Robin Lucas

The Jungle - is the 22-acre subtropical garden and hosts tress and luxuriant foliage much of which was collected from around the world by Victorian plant hunters. it is set in a steep sided valley and they have a broadwalk which snakes down through bamboo tunnels, palm lined avenues, around 4 ponds and a cascading stream, through the largest collection of Tasmanian tree ferns in Britain, exotic plants,. Look out for the banana palms and giant rhubarb, giant trees and over sixty varieties of bamboo.

Lost Valley and Ancient Woodland - A 18th century woodland which stills runs by a series of lakes, leats and a mill stream. 30-acres of natural woodland setting rich in wild flowers, ferns and ancient trees, where the lakeside air is frequently heavy with the scent of charcoal burning;

Horsemoor Hide and Wildlife - View 'live' images of the secret lives of some of Heligans wildlife via large plasma screens. These are connected to a network of miniature cameras in areas such as a number of bird, owl and bat boxes. It is located a short distance beyond the Northern Gardens and is accessible to all visitors, a ramp leads into the building for wheelchair users. Through open shutters and one-way glass windows you can see activity on a bird feeding area, a wildlife pond, a meadow and a small woodland.  There is a lot of interactive features within the hide including being able to experience3 the 'snoring' of barn owls and the sounds of pipistrelle bats, control over pan, tilt and zoom cameras and push button displays.

Look out for kingfishers, bramblings, flocks of long-tailed tits, fieldfares and redwings in the winter and pipits, swallows, yellowhammers and linnets if you visit during the summer months.

Heligan Home Farm invites visitors to witness the outer estate being brought back to life with grazing South Devon Cattle and Dorset Poll Sheep,  a poultry orchard and Wiltshire Horn Sheep.

DURATION OF VISIT - Ideally a whole day, but don’t expect to see everything on a single trip!

Pond View at Heligan   Ian Knox

Further information Grid

Location:	The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan, Cornwall
Ceremonial County:	Cornwall
Grid Reference:	SX001463
Map Link:	StreetMap
Aerial photo:	Google Aerial Photo
Route(s):
Best Times to Visit:
E-mail:	info@heligan.com
Website:	Own
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