Trebah Gardens, Cornwall

[Cha cha]

Dd is studying at Exeter uni Penryn campus and every time I take her/pick her up the only thing we do is walk around Falmouth/pop over to Flushing, but as much as we love that, we fancy doing something different next time.
Has anyone been to Trebah gardens Is it worth a visit?
If we go will 4 hours be enough to comfortably get around and see everything?
We’d be visiting on a Monday or Tuesday before school summer holidays start.
Thanks 😊

[anji]

Our son was there too! Didn't visit the gardens but a visit to the Seal Sanctuary at Gweek is certainly worth doing. Have you been to Pendennis Castle in Falmouth? St Michael's Mount is amazing if you want to venture a bit further.

Sure Cornighfrogboy can advise too as he lives there!

[daffodil92]

Yes! We’ve been to Trebah gardens and they’re beautiful!
However, if you have the time I’d absolutely recommend The Lost Gardens of Heligan too 😃

[Lullington]

Glendurgan Garden is lovely too. It's National Trust so if you have membership, quite a few places to visit.

[cornishfrogboy]

Trebah Gardens is a good couple of hours walk around. It is in a lovely valley that has its own, tropical micro climate, meaning that appropriate plants grow there. At the end of the valley are some concrete headstands on to the water from which the 29th Infantry division embarked for D Day. There are some good plaques down there that tell the story.
Trebah used to be owned by Donald Healey of Austin Healey fame.
It has a nice Tea and produce shop at the entrance.
It is highly recommended.

Next to it is Glendurgan Gardens.. almost as good as Trebah.

The walk from Swanpool Beach to Maenporth Beach around Stack Point is special, taking around an hour each way and with a decent cafe at each end.

Trelissick gardens is another really nice walk, right next to the King Harry Ferry.

However, the most highly recommended of all is Kennall Vale Gunpowder Factory (or nature reserve) at Ponsanooth. For me, this is the no1 attraction in the area, is free and few people know about it. The walk is only a mile or so and there are information plaques within the walk. Best of all, it is absolutely free! I attach the following images.. just to give you an idea.

There are 8 of these pairs of grinding mills, very thick walls and thin roofs so that if there was an explosion it would just go upwards, hopefully not harming production in the other 15 mills.

The Quarry/Lake.

Inside one of the 16, waterwheel driven grinding mills.

Sometimes you see Dippers in the rather fast flowing water, very distinct, with their white breasts.

Hoping that this gives you some alternatives!

[Cha cha]

Originally Posted by anji

Our son was there too! Didn't visit the gardens but a visit to the Seal Sanctuary at Gweek is certainly worth doing. Have you been to Pendennis Castle in Falmouth? St Michael's Mount is amazing if you want to venture a bit further.

Sure Cornighfrogboy can advise too as he lives there!

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Hi, thanks for your suggestions 😊
We haven’t been to the castle but have driven past it, we parked up near there, in a little car park by the sea. Is it worth going to?
The Seal Sanctuary sounds good, DD would love that as she’s doing Zoology.
It’s so gorgeous around Penryn & Falmouth isn’t it 😊

[Cha cha]

Originally Posted by daffodil92

Yes! We’ve been to Trebah gardens and they’re beautiful!
However, if you have the time I’d absolutely recommend The Lost Gardens of Heligan too 😃

See more...

Thank you - I just quickly googled The Lost Gardens of Heligan before replying. I’d never heard of them before, they look gorgeous too how amazing that the were left abandoned for so long.
That is definitely in the list too. 😊

[Cha cha]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

Trebah Gardens is a good couple of hours walk around. It is in a lovely valley that has its own, tropical micro climate, meaning that appropriate plants grow there. At the end of the valley are some concrete headstands on to the water from which the 29th Infantry division embarked for D Day. There are some good plaques down there that tell the story.
Trebah used to be owned by Donald Healey of Austin Healey fame.
It has a nice Tea and produce shop at the entrance.
It is highly recommended.

Next to it is Glendurgan Gardens.. almost as good as Trebah.

The walk from Swanpool Beach to Maenporth Beach around Stack Point is special, taking around an hour each way and with a decent cafe at each end.

Trelissick gardens is another really nice walk, right next to the King Harry Ferry.

However, the most highly recommended of all is Kennall Vale Gunpowder Factory (or nature reserve) at Ponsanooth. For me, this is the no1 attraction in the area, is free and few people know about it. The walk is only a mile or so and there are information plaques within the walk. Best of all, it is absolutely free! I attach the following images.. just to give you an idea.

There are 8 of these pairs of grinding mills, very thick walls and thin roofs so that if there was an explosion it would just go upwards, hopefully not harming production in the other 15 mills.

The Quarry/Lake.

Inside one of the 16, waterwheel driven grinding mills.

Sometimes you see Dippers in the rather fast flowing water, very distinct, with their white breasts.

Hoping that this gives you some alternatives!

See more...

Thank you so much for all of those fab suggestions and the brilliant photos.
I’d never been to Cornwall before DD decided she wanted to go to uni, the long journey always put me off, I even tried to putt DD off from going there and suggested uni’s that were easier to get to.
I’m so glad she didn’t listen to me 😆
I ab love my visits to Cornwall now. Dd is just finishing her 1st year so I’m going to make sure we visit all of the gardens & Kennall Vale.
I’m going to start off my visiting Trebah and then visit the others with each visit.
Thank you 😊

Edited to add; are there places to park around Kennall Vale?

[Cha cha]

Originally Posted by Lullington

Glendurgan Garden is lovely too. It's National Trust so if you have membership, quite a few places to visit.

See more...

Thank you - it might be worth getting National Trust membership with all those gorgeous gardens around 😊

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by Cha cha

Thank you so much for all of those fab suggestions and the brilliant photos.
I’d never been to Cornwall before DD decided she wanted to go to uni, the long journey always put me off, I even tried to putt DD off from going there and suggested uni’s that were easier to get to.
I’m so glad she didn’t listen to me 😆
I ab love my visits to Cornwall now. Dd is just finishing her 1st year so I’m going to make sure we visit all of the gardens & Kennall Vale.
I’m going to start off my visiting Trebah and then visit the others with each visit.
Thank you 😊

Edited to add; are there places to park around Kennall Vale?

See more...

Best to park by Ponsanooth School and then walk up the hill to the entrance.