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Cornwall Editorial GuideTRURO AND MID CORNWALLINTRODUCTION SECTION ONE TRELISSICK / TRUROTranquil garden set on many levels, containing a superb collection of tender and exotic plants
What's new this year About this property The Trelissick estate stands at the head of the estuary of the River Fal. Here a great stretch of deep water runs far inland with smaller creeks and inlets branching off on either side. Wooded slopes lead down to the water with oaks and beeches overhanging the mudflats of the tidal creeks. The King Harry Ferry below Trelissick is the only connection across the water to the Roseland peninsular on the other side of the estuary. In about 1750 a modest two-storey villa was built at Trelissick on the foundations of an earlier building. This house was remodelled in 1825 by Peter Frederick Robinson who added the columned portico which rises to the height of the south front. Robinson's patron was Thomas Daniell whose father had bought the estate in 1800 with the fortune he inherited from tin-mining interests. Thomas Daniell planted much of the woodland along the shores of the estuary and the carriage drives he laid out in the park are now shady woodland walks. Between 1844 and 1913 the estate was owned by the Gilbert family who made great improvements to the grounds. They planted ornamental woodlands and some of the huge holm oaks and conifers in the garden. The wonderful garden seen today was largely created by Mr and Mrs Ronald Copeland after Mrs Copeland inherited Trelissick in 1937. From the house (not open to the public) and drive there are splendid views across a great sweep of grass to the Carrick Roads. On clear days Pendennis Castle can be seen on a promontory in the far distance. The garden, however, with its exotic and delicate plants needs protection from the prevailing wind rather than extensive views. Mrs Copeland planted many species that flourish in the mid Cornish air, including the great range of rhododendrons and azaleas that are such a feature of the garden. There are also hydrangeas, camellias, flowering cherries, magnolias, eucalyptus, maples and exotic plants such as the ginkgo and many species of palm. Trelissick has an intimate feel with conifers, beeches and other trees sheltering and enclosing the valley. There are many changes of level and perspective and the winding paths, shaded by great holm oaks and beeches and flanked by high hedges, open unexpectedly into areas of grass. It is these spacious lawns that give Trelissick its character. The sloping main lawn is shaded by a fine Japanese cedar and at the sides are borders devoted to summer-flowering shrubs and plants. The walks lead to a summer house and a Saxon cross and then back to a raised drive. From here there is a glimpse of the dell at the heart of the garden with its tree ferns, large-leaved rhododendrons, banana tree and other exotic plants. A narrow path and rustic bridge lead over the Ferry Road, a green canyon through the centre of the garden, to the Carcadden area. This wide slope is a newer part of the garden. The descending lawns are planted informally with great cedars and cypresses and there are many choice shrubs including camellias, magnolias, flowering cherries and rhododendrons.There is also a huge collection of hydrangeas, a specialty of Trelissick. The Trelissick is now in the care of the National Trust. The property includes an extensive park and there are woodland walks beside the river. There is also an Art and Craft gallery. Wooded slopes lead down to the water with oaks and beeches overhanging the mudflats of the tidal creeks. The King Harry Ferry below Trelissick is the only connection across the water to the Roseland peninsular on the other side of the estuary.
There are splendid views across a great sweep of grass to the Carrick Roads. On clear days you can see as far as Pendennis Castle in the distance. The main lawn is shaded by a magnificent Japanese cedar with borders devoted to summer-flowering shrubs and plants. The walks lead to the summer house and a Saxon cross and then back to a raised drive. You can get a glimpse of the dell at the heart of the garden with rhododendrons, banana tree and other exotic plants. Trelissick is a garden and estate of tranquil beauty with panoramic views down the Carrick Roads. Famed for its tender and exotic plants and shrubs it is a plantsman's delight. The gardens feature walks through 500 acres of parkland and riverside woods. The house at Trelissick is not open, but there is an art and craft gallery, shop and plant sales, restaurants and a fine Georgian stable block. Shop, restaurant and art and craft gallery. The River Fal and Carrick Roads make up one of the most attractive and unspoilt estuaries in the country. The estate is renowned for its glorious position at the head of Carrick Roads, with panoramic views down the estuary towards Falmouth and the sea and intriguing glimpses boats moored in tidal creeks and small hamlets that have changed little over the last hundred years. Trelissick is a truly impressive National Trust property; one of Cornwall's premier gardens. Landscaped on many levels the garden has a superb collection of tender and exotic plants with displays of colour throughout the year. The rolling contours of the gardens, reach right down to the water's edge and can be enjoyed at any time of the year round though the spring blossom is particularly delightful. In about 1750 a modest two-storey villa was built at Trelissick on the foundations of an earlier building. This house at Trelissick was built in 1750, on the foundations of a much earlier building. Peter Frederick Robinson was commissioned by Thomas Daniell, to redesign the building in 1825; adding a columned portico to the south facade. Thomas Daniell's father had originally bought Trelissick in 1800, with the money inherited from various tin-mining interests. Thomas Daniell began much of the initial works on the gardens at Trelissick, planting the woodlands that run along the shores of the Fal estuary and creating the shady drives; originally as carriage drives, but now acting as woodland walks. The Gilbert family acquired Trelissick between the years 1844 and 1913, and made many improvements throughout the grounds. The ornamental woodlands, huge oaks and conifers, where in many cases planted during this period. In 1937, Mrs Copeland inherited Trelissick, and together with her husband, Ronald, created the garden that exists today. The Copelands planted many species that flourish in the mild Cornish air, including an abundance of the tender asian shrubs that are so characteristic of many gardens in Cornwall - magnolias, camellias and rhododendrons - together with many rare varieties of hydrangea; a speciality of Trelissick and a feature of the garden. Trelissick gets much of its character from the large, spacious lawns. A fine example of a Japanese cedar provides the centre piece, and shade, for the sloping main lawn - whose borders are filled with summer-flowering shrubs and plants. Walks from this main lawn lead you to a summer house and on to a Saxon cross before returning you to the raised drive. As you follow the paths stunning panoramas are revealed to you, across the tree tops into the tropical dell, with its palm trees, banana trees, tree ferns, large-leaved rhododendrons, and other exotic plants. As you return to the main lawn a small path leads you out of the garden over a rustic bridge which crosses the Ferry Road into the Carcadden area - and a whole new experience. A more recent development with lawns that feature informal plantings of cedars and cypresses. A more open a parkland atmosphere, with abundant specimens of magnolias, camellias, and the ever present rhododendrons. The new Cornish apple orchard has recently been established in this area . The Heritage Trail has 4 unique places of charm and character for you to visit in the Westcountry. The city of Truro lies to the northern most point of the Roseland Peninsula and derives its name from the Cornish Tri-veru, meaning three rivers. The only city in Cornwall, Truro is a beautiful place to visit and stay. Once a busy port, the remnants of which can be seen in the fine houses of the wealthy merchants that settled there, it is now Cornwall’s centre for trade and commerce with an interesting mix of specialist shops and multinational stores. As a day out its great to explore the cobbled streets and browse the wide range of shops and flea markets. Wander into Lemon Quay and sit at a terraced café to watch the people go by. Visit one of the weekly farmer’s markets and enjoy local food and drink as well as handmade arts and crafts. It is estimated that half a million people visit Truro Cathedral during the year. Built on the site of the 16th century St Mary the Virgin Parish Church, it was the first cathedral to be built on a new site in England since Salisbury Cathedral in 1220. Outside, in St Mary's Street, the 16th century stonework can be seen against the granite walls of the new cathedral. Inside, the remaining part of the parish church is typically Cornish with its 16th century barrel roof. Items to look out for inside the Cathedral include the Baptistry, dedicated to Henry Martyn; the Tinworth Panel, made in terracotta by George Tinworth; the Bishops Chair, which in Latin is called a 'cathedra' and gives the building its name; the famous Father Willis organ; the three rose windows which represent the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost; the Robartes memorial which used to stand in the Parish church. The stained glass windows (including one showing John Wesley, the Methodist preacher who was very popular in Cornwall) are considered to be the finest examples of Victorian stained glass. Out and about in Truro take a walk through some of the beautiful parks and gardens. Victoria Gardens has a treasure of exotic trees, shrubs and flowers. During the summer stop and while away an hour listening to the concerts on Sunday afternoons. Take the kids to Boscawen Park on the other side of the Truro River. Here you can play tennis or cricket or feed the ducks in the idyllic Duck Pond or take a stroll around its edge. Whatever your mood there is something to suit in Cornwall’s only city! SECTION TWO PROBUS / ST EWE / MEVAGISSEYTrewithen House Trewithen is a fine early Georgian squire's house set in a splendid woodland garden. The name Trewithen means 'house of the trees'. The house was created by three generations of the Hawkins family. Philip Hawkins, the younger son of a rich lawyer and MP, bought the estate in the early 18th century. He commissioned the architect Thomas Edwards of Greenwich to extend and remodel the five bay brick house. The work on the house continued after the death of Philip Hawkins in 1738 and in 1763 - 64 his nephew, Thomas, engaged the renowned London architect, Sir Robert Taylor, to remodel some of the interior. Thomas Hawkins also created the present forecourt and landscaped the grounds. He died after being inoculated for smallpox in 1766. The estate passed to his son Christopher, who carried out some minor internal alterations in the late-18th and early-19th centuries but since then there have been few structural changes to the house. In 1904 Trewithen was inherited by George Johnstone after the male line of the Hawkins family had died out. The present owner is his grandson. The original five-bay house purchased by Philip Hawkins was extended by two bays on either side and the north side (now the entrance front) was covered with plaster. The south facade, constructed from local grey Pentewan stone, was probably begun in 1738, the year Philip Hawkins died. This dignified facade looks out over a lawn encircled by trees planted by George Johnstone. The approach to the house is through an open courtyard with detached service blocks, dating from the 1750s, on either side. Although the exterior of Trewithen is modest the interiors were influenced by London sophistication. The visitor views the main reception rooms which are all located on the ground floor. The Library is mostly late-18th century whilst the Oak Room has dark panelling from the 1720s. Over the chimneypiece here is an idealised early-18th century landscape painting. The Drawing Room, with a canted bay window, has Palladian style woodwork dating from 1758. The late-18th century Staircase Hall is lit from above by a glazed dome. The Dining Room on the south front was created by Sir Robert Taylor in the 1760s on the site of the former entrance hall. The lavish decoration in this room includes a Rococo-style fireplace and fireplace wall with floral garlands in stucco. Over the fireplace is an oval portrait of Philip Hawkins, founder of the family fortunes. The house has some excellent pieces of 18th and early-19th century furniture and there is a splendid collection of blue-and-white porcelain. Paintings include works by foreign artists such as Hondecoeter and Van de Velde. Trewithen's greatest collection, however, is the 18th century British portraits. There are works by Allan Ramsay John Opie and James Northcote but the most important are by Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was born at Plympton, near Plymouth. The gardens with their superb collection of exotic trees and shrubs were largely created by George Johnstone in the early 20th century. The 30 acre garden is internationally famous. There are fine beech trees which give shelter and background shape to the garden. Features include a lawn bordered by banks of flowering shrubs, island beds with dwarf conifers and heathers, a wisteria-clad pergola, beds of mixed shrubs and roses and rare climbers. St EweA picturesque village with a 14th century church at the centre. Nearby Polmassick Vineyard Mevagissey And Gorran Haven The Real Cornwall The fishing village of Mevagissey and the still-smaller haven of Gorran are the very essence of a Cornwall which has remained true to its roots and embraced change only slowly. Both names belong to 6th century Irish missionaries. Mevagissey s labyrinth of tiny streets twist and turn past ancient dwarf dwellings of cob and slate but head inexorably for the twin harbours which are its nerve-centre, a place to watch the fishermen land their catch and mend their nets as they have since John Trewollas built the first pier in 1430. By the 19th century, the most important catch was pilchard, some 40-million a year of which were salted in special cellars you can still see and packed into barrels for export to France and Italy. Earlier still, some of the crew doubled as smugglers or privateers, but today their secondary role is to introduce visitors to inshore fishing for mackerel or deep-sea shark-hunts. The full range of fish in local waters can be seen at the Aquarium, converted from the old lifeboat house. Mevagissey is renowned for the soaring, switchback walks that whet the appetite for its seafood or help to work it off. From Polkirt Hill you can look out over the higgledy Mediaeval street plan, the fishing boats in the harbour and the yachts in the pool, to the golden sweep of Polstreath Beach and St Austell Bay or south to the inlet that shelters Portmellon Beach and the scenic coast path over Chapel Point to Gorran Haven. Less than three miles separate the two, but the contrast is sharp. Mevagissey is a working harbour, Gorran Haven a small picturesque anchorage, dozing on its sandy beach in the lee of the spectacular 400 foot high Dodman Point. Good swimming and snorkelling are its assets with, for sailors, a protective hard. Visit the distinctive landmark of its 15th century church with 110-foot tower or simply enjoy the quiet and privacy. Things to see and do: The Old Pilchard Cellars Mevagissey, a magical place for your holiday. A traditional Cornish fishing village, where you can wander the narrow alleyways, browse gift shops and art galleries, try the local ale in one of the many pubs, have a fine dinner in one of the excellent restaurants and finally a walk around the moon lit harbour. The perfect setting for a perfect Cornish holiday Come to Cornwall and enjoy a great Cornish holiday. Mevagissey is situated on the southern riviera coast making it an ideal base from which to explore this beautiful county. It is a small, unspoilt fishing village with a colourful history of boat building and smuggling. which still retains its traditional character and nowadays has a selection of top quality pubs, restaurants and shops. Stay in a harbourside hotel, a Cornish cottage or a friendly guesthouse, and enjoy the best of Cornish hospitality. Cornwall is a county of legend; Celts, Druids, King Arthur, and the modern attractions of the Eden Project, the Tate Gallery, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, the National Maritime Museum, ready for you to explore. This website contains travel information, accommodation and much more which we hope will help you in planning your holiday in Cornwall. Wishing you a lovely time, John & Helen, Mevagissey Telecottage. The award winning Lost Gardens of Heligan, asleep for more than seventy years, are the scene of the largest garden restoration project in Europe. In the spring of 1991, the Gardens of Heligan lay under a blanket of bramble, ivy, rampant laurel and fallen timber. A year later, the restoration team opened the gardens to enable the public to share in the excitement of their discovery. In the northern gardens are two and a half miles of footpaths, an Elizabethan mount, rockeries, summer houses, a crystal grotto, an Italian garden, a fine set of bee-boles, a wishing well and a superb collection of walled gardens. Remarkably much of the original plant collection has survived, sometimes to record sizes. To the south lies 'Lost Valley' and 'The Jungle', a sub-tropical valley overlooking the picturesque fishing harbour of Mevagissey, and overflowing with palms, tree ferns, bamboos, gunnera and numerous exotic trees and shrubs. If The Secret Garden and Peter Rabbit captured your childhood imagination, then Heligan will not disappoint you. The story boards make the visit interesting even to the non-gardener! NEW - Lobbs Farm Shop MEVAGISSEY is one of the most charming fishing ports of the South Cornish Coast, its white and colour-washed dwellings perched on the slopes of the hills encircling the two harbours. Many of the old fish cellars in the picturesque village have been converted to modern use but their old strong walls and the unspoilt appearance of the narrow streets retain the character of old Mevagissey which is so enchanting to the holiday visitor. Fishing still remains one of the chief occupations of local people and visitors interested in fishing will be glad to know that many of the hundreds of boats bobbing in the harbour are available for deep sea angling and shark fishing. mackerel fishing trips around the bay are popular. Much of the coastline adjacent to Mevagissey is cared for by the National Trust and is easily accessible. Visit the ruins of Portgiskey, cottages, cellars, gardens and boatyards, abandoned in the late nineteenth century. The Lost Gardens of Heligan are just outside of the village and the Eden Project is about 7 miles away. SECTION THREE EDEN PROJECTThe Eden Project was established as one of the landmark Millennium projects in the UK to mark the year 2000 and is structured as an educational charitable trust. “The Trust’s interests lie in explaining how the natural world works seen through the lens of plants, exploring how people might best organise themselves in the face of this knowledge and thereby reach an understanding of what sustainability might mean and, through best practice of these principles, create an organisation that is sustainable to act as a model for others.” The Eden Project communicates its story in a ‘Living Theatre of Plants and People’ based in a large crater in which nestle two vast greenhouses (Biomes). These house plants, crops and landscapes from the humid tropics and warm temperate regions and act as a backdrop to the temperate landscape, which we call the Outdoor Biome. Eden uses exhibitions, art, storytelling, workshops, lectures and events to put messages across to both the public and formal education groups. The underlying concept presents to the widest possible public audience the need for environmental care through a celebration of what nature gives to us. Eden is demonstrating behaviour change on site, holding a mirror to our values and civilisation and encouraging respect for the things that sustain us. The Eden Trust is the registered charity that owns the Eden Project. Money raised by the project is used to further its charitable aims. As a registered charitable trust we qualify for Gift Aid, where the government gives us 28p for every pound donated to us. Eden is not for sale, it belongs to everyone. The Trust is unique in that it has deliberately set out to operate in the commercial arena. This is because we believe that only by demonstrating that ethical commerce is viable that we can affect real change in the global businesses that we would like to influence. We started locally with more than 200 suppliers and in our first year of trading put around £150 million of additional revenue into the local economy and have laid the foundations for concerted strategic action among our suppliers to deliver social and environmental benefits such as Waste Neutral. The Eden Project successfully combines ecology, horticulture, science, art and architecture. It provides an informative and enjoyable experience while promoting ways to maintain a sustainable future in terms of human global dependence on plants and trees. The exhibits include over one hundred thousand plants representing five thousand species from many of the climate zones of the world. The organically inspired architecture is inventive, appropriate and original. The challenge for the Eden project was different: the buildings needed to provide completely enclosed environments for key global microclimates; the site was a remote clay pit in Cornwall that was continually moving and changing shape; and the building needed to provide large uninterrupted ground space for the plants and trees. As the design team searched for the most effective and interesting way to enclose the planned environments the organically inspired dome-shaped biome emerged as a strong idea, with the surfaces made up of geometric shapes. Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners worked closely with Anthony Hunt Associates Ltd and Mero Plc to develop the structure and define the lengths of each steelwork section via a 3D computer model. This enabled each section of the steelwork frame to be fabricated off-site and assembled in its unique position on-site matching precisely within the steel framework. The final architectural and structural design is hugely efficient, providing maximum strength with minimum steelwork and maximum volume with minimum surface area. The transparent hexagonal membranes transmit more light than glass and the largest biome spans more than one hundred meters without requiring internal supports - allowing complete freedom for the landscape architects and horticulturalists. SECTION FOUR CHARLESTOWN / ST AUSTELL / CARLYON BAYCHARLESTOWN The harbour village of Charlestown was a Georgian 'new town', a port development planned by local landowner Charles Rashleigh (after whom it was named) and built between 1790 and 1810 for the export of copper and china clay. Throughout the nineteenth century the little dock was packed with ships and the harbourside sheds and warehouses thronged with complementary businesses: boatbuilding, ropemaking, brickworks, lime burning, net houses, bark houses and pilchard curing. Today there are two remarkable things about Charlestown. One is that, against all the odds, it has survived as a working port and a small amount of china clay is still exported in an average of 30-40 ships a year, and this saves the place from becoming a cosy caricature of itself with plenty of 'heritage appeal' but no real life. The second is that - again, against all the odds - it has largely escaped 'development' and remains one of the finest and most fascinating places on the Cornish coast. Perhaps the words "so far" should be added to these two observations, for who knows what will happen to Charlestown in the future? At the time of writing, the harbour is the home port for a famous collection of old ships which are employed in film projects all over the world - they have brought work and life to the quays and harbour buildings and are a particular draw for visitors. The Shipwreck and historical artefacts on display in the centre are the largest private collection of this type on public display in Europe. Brought together over the last 45 to 50 years, it forms the basis of one of the most unusual and interesting collections open to the public. This website is just a small insight into this extensive collection
Charlestown - The many and varied exhibitions to be found here reflect village life in Charlestown, it's history, shipwrecks and the once thriving China Clay industry. The exhibitions show a tremendous range of maritime history. Charlestown is a Georgian port which has remained relatively unspoilt and undeveloped, reflecting how many West Country ports and fishing coves looked prior to development. Quaint granite cottages nestle into the countryside, rural farms remain untouched by modern developments and lush green fields almost merge with the sea. Two hundred years ago, West Polmear as it was then known, was a tiny fishing village with no harbour, only three cottages and the local people made a living from catching pilchards. The mines and China clay pits in St. Austell flourished during the latter part of the 18th century, thus the need for a local port being able to offer security from the weather and suitable unloading facilities, became obvious to a local businessman by the name of Charles Rashleigh. Charles Rashleigh with the aid of Smeaton's plans (a famous designer of lighthouses and harbours), began the mammoth task of constructing the harbour. The outer arm was completed first to shelter shipping and the inner piers were finished in stages after the rocks had been blasted away and manually cut and removed. In addition to the harbour, Rashleigh built a gun battery to protect the village and this was used by the 'Huer' or look-out man. He could spot shoals of fish and alert the village, guiding the boats to the fish once they had put to sea. The name of the village was changed in honour of Mr Charles Rashleigh and became Charles' town. ST AUSTELLLittle more than a small cluster of houses around a fine church for much of its history, St Austell was utterly transformed by the discovery in the mid-eighteenth century, by the chemist Williarn Cookworthy, of huge reserves of china clay to the north and west of the village. Put simply, china clay is decomposed granite, but the process is not common to all granite areas - it is, in fact, found in very few places in the world which made the deposits found in Cornwall and Devon particularly valuable. By the 1850s, some 7,000 men, women and children were employed in the St Austell clay district in the extraction, processing, transportation and export of the clay, and heavy wagons constantly rumbled through the streets of St Austell on their way to the ports of Charlestown, Pentewan and Par. The town grew and prospered out of all recognition. There are some fine buildings from this period to be seen today, the White Hart Hotel for instance, and the Market House, but much of the town centre seems to have lost its way. The parish church is still the glory of St Austell, with its beautifully-carved tower of Pentewan stone. Today, although production methods have changed considerably, English China Clays, the company which now operates most of the pits, is still one of Cornwall's biggest employers. The uses of the clay have changed, too, and diversified; papermaking is the principal market, but it is also used in the manufacture of paints, medicines, porcelain, dyes and cosmetics and is exported all over the world. Readers keen to learn more about the industry and its history should visit the excellent Wheal Martyn Museum, north of St Austell, or read Cornwall's China Clay Heritage by the Cornwall Archaeological Unit (published by Twelveheads Press The great sweep of St Austell Bay and its hinterland play host to a vivid range of scenery, spectacle and activity, compounded by a location which makes it a natural touring centre, within an hour's drive of most major attractions in the county. The great sweep of St Austell Bay and its hinterland play host to a vivid range of scenery, spectacle and activity, compounded by a location which makes it a natural touring centre, within an hour's drive of most major attractions in the county. A drive north will take you to Roche, noted for its towering rock with the chapel of St Michael built into the summit, a natural sound stage for the Cornish Gorsedd celebrating a pre-Christian oral tradition. Nearby, is the bijou port of Charlestown, little changed since its completion in 1795 by the brilliant local entrepreneur, Charles Rashleigh. Its Shipwreck and Heritage Centre, built over the old china clay dry, charts a fascinating 200 year history of fishing, wrecking, mining and migration to North America. On display in the harbour you will find traditional square rigged sailing ships, and at various times, famous visiting tall ships, aboard which you can discover a world from many years ago Charlestown has its own beach and St Austell Bay offers outstanding cliff and coastal scenery with beaches at Carlyon Bay, Porthpean, Pentewan and Par where you will find a lake whose many species of bird make it a naturalist's paradise. Carlyon Bay is also the home of the Cornish Leisure World, with a host of recreational facilities. Across the water, tucked into the hillside between Par and Fowey is the small picturesque harbour of Polkerris with its sandy beach from where you can hire a boat or pedalo and explore the Bay.
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