The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Lying at the heart of one of the most mysterious estates in England, Heligan, the former seat of the Tremayne family, is now the site of the largest garden restoration in Europe. Its extraordinary plant collection together with a range of exotic glasshouses, working buildings, romantic structures and designed landscapes reflect the past passions and interests of the family. The combination of these and the mild Cornish climate has resulted in a garden which is unique. In its heyday, Heligan Manor was one of the glories of Cornwall. Almost completely self-sufficient, it had a number of farms, quarries, woods, a brickworks, a flour mill, a sawmill, a brewery, and productive orchards and kitchen gardens. Its land extending over a thousand acres, it was the centre of the community and supported 20 'inside' staff and up to 22 'outside' staff. The outbreak of war in 1914 ended this idyll. Many of the staff would perish in the mud of Flanders and although the Tremayne family returned after the war for a few years they finally tenanted the estate out to friends and moved away. Although basic maintenance was undertaken to the grounds around the house, the gardens gradually and gently went to sleep. One of the reasons Heligan is so valuable is that no major alterations had been carried out over this last century and all the vernacular and garden buildings remained untouched. There are very few examples of gardens which haven't been 'modernised' and Heligan provides a unique time capsule. Heligan restored provides a testament to the Victorian vision and ingenuity which first created this subtropical paradise. We hope that you will now enjoy finding out about the project and that you will feel inspired to come and see the real thing for yourself! The restoration of the Heligan Home Farm is a natural progression of the restoration of the gardens. Heligan, like many of the Cornish estate gardens, was in its heyday completely self-contained and incorporated amongst other essentials a farm. The farm was known as the 'Home Farm' as that is exactly what is was; a farm which provided for the home, namely Heligan House. The Heligan Home Farm Project endeavours to resurrect the old Cornish farming traditions once practised at Heligan. Visitors will be invited to walk around tens of acres of land, known as the 'Heligan Outer Estate', recently opened to the public to see the Heligan herds grazing in their natural Cornish environment. The Home Farm Project also has another aim. This is to educate and provide visitors with information about how the farming industry works; in our modern culture it is easy to forget the connection between the livelihood of rural communities maintained through agriculture and the pre-packed convenience foods of society today. The Heligan Home Farm project is still in its infancy. Over the next few months and years the project will grow and develop to a self sufficient and fully working Cornish farm rearing cattle, pigs, sheep and fowl.

Additional info

Free parking for cars and pre-booked coaches
Toilet facilities (including those for disabled visitors)
Tearoom/Restaurant with a simple seasonal menu, incorporating our own and local produce; bread, scones and cakes from our on-site bakery.
Picnic area
Heligan shop,plant sales and Lobbs Farm Shop
Dogs welcome on short leads except between 1st March and 31st October inclusive