Glendurgan Garden, close to Mawnan Smith, is a truly gorgeous garden owned by the National Trust set in a 30-acre woodland valley and created by Albert Fox in 1926. The beautifully designed garden is set in a valley, which runs down to the pretty fishing village of Durgan.
There are three valleys of Glendurgan to lose yourself in – full of fun, informality, natural beauty and amazing plants. Big leaves and exotic flowers thrive in the jungle-like lower valley and sun-loving specimens enjoy the upper banks. In springtime, 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 sand castles.
Walking back up from Durgan you can find a boat seat, a gigantic tulip tree and ponds teeming with wildlife. The garden is one of the best known sub-tropical gardens in Cornwall featuring bamboo, tree ferns and many more exotics.
Perhaps the best-known feature of this garden is the laurel maze, which was originally planted in 1833 and was modelled on the maze of Sydney Gardens in Bath. The maze has been completely pruned and renovated over the last thirty years, and a Victorian-style summer house has been reconstructed at the centre.
Glendurgan is a great base for walking the coastal paths and inland wooded valleys of the fascinating and beautiful North Helford countryside. You can even enjoy a light lunch or afternoon tea at Glendurgan Tea House which specialises in organic, local produce.
Lose yourself in the three valleys; a trip to Glendurgan will certainly be a main highlight to your Cornwall visit .
Glendurgan Garden, close to Mawnan Smith, is a truly gorgeous garden owned by the National Trust set in a 30-acre woodland valley and created by Albert Fox in 1926.
