The gardens of Heligan House were the pride and joy of the estate for over one hundred years, but in 1914 many of the gardeners went to fight in WW1, never to return. For decades the Gardens of Heligan were lost, nature took hold and hid them from the outside world, until the hurricane in 1990 meant a small room which was buried under fallen masonry was discovered. The room was in the corner of one of the walled gardens, and the finders decided to investigate further.
They found a a motto etched into the limestone walls in barely legible pencil that read “Don’t come here to sleep or slumber”, with the names of those who worked there signed under the date – August 1914. It sparked something inside of them, and they became obsessed with restoring the gardens to their original glory for the public to enjoy.
The restoration was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary in 1996, and when they re-opened people flocked to see them. I still remember visiting in the early 2000's and being awestruck by the beauty of them. We haven't been back since then, so this visit to Cornwall it was one of the things at the top of my list.
Heligan has three main sections; The Pleasure Grounds, The Productive Gardens, and The Jungle. The Pleasure Grounds and Productive Gardens are in the same sort of area, and you move between them both. We spent hours just wandering around taking in the beauty of the gardens and the plants and flowers that filled each individual section.
How cute are the little piglets?! They have a whole section full of animals; pigs, horses, sheep, chickens and geese. After taking in the pretty manicured gardens we then walked to The Jungle section. As you step into The Jungle you feel as though you're in a completely different world. As if you've teleported to the jungle in Asia.
There's a rope bridge from one side of the other over the rive, mum and I got a bit over-excited about this and got straight into the queue for it. Dad on the other hand went back round the long way, and he took Dylan with him as he wasn't allowed on it.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan are also famous for their sculptures, below are the Mud Maid and The Giant's Head. Creepy or cool?!
They found a a motto etched into the limestone walls in barely legible pencil that read “Don’t come here to sleep or slumber”, with the names of those who worked there signed under the date – August 1914. It sparked something inside of them, and they became obsessed with restoring the gardens to their original glory for the public to enjoy.
The restoration was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary in 1996, and when they re-opened people flocked to see them. I still remember visiting in the early 2000's and being awestruck by the beauty of them. We haven't been back since then, so this visit to Cornwall it was one of the things at the top of my list.
Heligan has three main sections; The Pleasure Grounds, The Productive Gardens, and The Jungle. The Pleasure Grounds and Productive Gardens are in the same sort of area, and you move between them both. We spent hours just wandering around taking in the beauty of the gardens and the plants and flowers that filled each individual section.
How cute are the little piglets?! They have a whole section full of animals; pigs, horses, sheep, chickens and geese. After taking in the pretty manicured gardens we then walked to The Jungle section. As you step into The Jungle you feel as though you're in a completely different world. As if you've teleported to the jungle in Asia.
There's a rope bridge from one side of the other over the rive, mum and I got a bit over-excited about this and got straight into the queue for it. Dad on the other hand went back round the long way, and he took Dylan with him as he wasn't allowed on it.
^^That rucksack is Mum's 'Dylan Backpack', it's full of his treats, a tennis ball, and his high-vis jacket. It's like having a child!
Without my sidekick brother I had to pose by myself under the big leaves...unlike 12 years ago. I can't remember if the below photo was taken in Heligan or Trebah (another incredible garden in Cornwall) though...
The Lost Gardens of Heligan are also famous for their sculptures, below are the Mud Maid and The Giant's Head. Creepy or cool?!
I absolutely loved going back to The Lost Gardens of Heligan, I adore the story behind them and they're so lovely just to walk around, even in the rain. Also, dogs are allowed in on a lead which is always good! I hate it when we have to leave Dylan in the car or at the house by himself, so it was really nice to be able to take him with us.
Have you been to The Lost Gardens of Heligan?
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