The Lost Gardens of Heligan

We had a bit of a lie-in this morning before our timed visit to the Lost Gardens of Heligan at 11am. It was another dull and drizzly day, but we didn't let that put us off!! 😀

The original Heligan Manor was built on the site in the 1200s. Since then, the house has undergone many changes. It is now in private hands and not accessible to the public.

The gardens, on the other hand, have been fully restored and attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. They were first laid out by Henry Hawkins Tremayne in the 1700s. Subsequent generations of the Tremayne family added to and improved the gardens over the next 200 years.

During and after World War I, the gardens unfortunately fell into disrepair. In August 1914, 13 Heligan staff signed their names on the wall of the Thunderbox Room. They all went off to war. Only 4 survived. None of them returned to Heligan.

In 1990, John Willis, the great great nephew of the last resident squire, Jack Tremayne, inherited Heligan and invited his friend, Tim Smit (later of the Eden Project fame), to view the estate with him. As they picked their way through the undergrowth and fallen trees (made worse by recent storms), they came across the Thunderbox Room and the signatures of the young men. They vowed to restore the 'Lost Gardens' in their name.

So the work began. It continues to this day. It has been described as 'the garden restoration project of the century'!

Obviously, it's only February, so we weren't seeing the gardens at their best, especially the flower and vegetable gardens. However, we spent a very enjoyable four hours or so wandering through the different areas and exploring the Lost Valley and the Jungle. The latter was particularly interesting, especially as we crossed the Burma rope bridge!Read more