Visiting the Lost Gardens of Heligan was a highlight of my recent Cornwall road trip. I just love the magic and mystery that surrounds this place. Do not go into Heligan thinking it is just a regular garden centre; it is so much more than that. From your quintessential manor gardens, to Burmese-style jungles and sleeping giants. There is such a wide variety of colour, smells and sounds here that it is a treat for the senses.
Here is my blog post on helping you plan your day out here. Just prepare yourself to get lost in nature…
Visiting the Lost Gardens of Heligan | How to Spend a Day Getting Lost in Nature
Getting to the Lost Gardens of Heligan
The nearest ‘base’ to Heligan is probably St. Austell. From here, it is a short drive down the B3273 before you go off-piste down some smaller lanes. The signposts are really clear and they take you right into the car park.
If you are travelling further afield, from Truro for instance, the best route is along the A39, before getting onto the A390. Either way, I found the journey to the Lost Gardens of Heligan really easy.
Visiting the Lost Gardens of Heligan | Opening Hours and Prices
Booking online is strongly recommended before your visit. You firstly select the time you would like to visit, before you select your ticket.
An adult ticket is £24.95 and a child is £11.00. They also do some discounts for family passes too. If you have a few children, I would suggest this latter option to save some money. The first entry is at 10:00 each day, with the last entry at 16:30.
Visiting the Lost Gardens of Heligan | Top Things to See and Do
The Lost Gardens of Heligan are split into the gardens and the older estate. Obviously you need to see the three main gardens and these are:
Productive Garden
The Productive Garden at Heligan claims to be the finest in Britain. When you walk around and see the amazing food that is being grown, you will be amazed! At the time of writing there are over 300 types of produce grown each year. If you want to sample it, just head on over to the Heligan Kitchen!
As a keen gardener myself, the story behind these gardens is inspirational. The restoration work is incredible and you can visualise what they would have been like in the past. The methods used are still the same and the species are mostly heritage. Make sure that you buy some seeds to sow in your own garden.
Pleasure Grounds
The first place you will likely stop are the Pleasure Gardens. Plants from across the world are cultivated here and, once more, these follow the historic paths and layouts from the Victorian age.
The Rhododendrons and the Camellias are arguably the main attraction. Heligan is home to a National Collection, thanks to the wonderfully warm Cornish climate. Rhododendrons are some of my favourite flowers and the ones in Heligan are some of the most impressive I’ve seen. The pink pops that shine out really do add to the magic here.
Aside from those plants, you can also see gardens inspired by Italy and New Zealand. Again though, all the work is based upon restoration, giving you a feel for what these high-status gardens would have looked like.
Thanks to the amazing effort, it is not hard to imagine the status and wealth that came with Heligan during the Victorian Times.
Jungle
A surprising, yet happy, curveball at Heligan is the Jungle. I am still baffled by how this has established itself in the UK as it feels like something from SouthEast Asia.
The gardens are in a valley at the far-side of the estate. This means that a microclimate is here, adding 5 degrees to the jungle area temperature. I really loved the variety of tropical plants here and the attention to detail. It was surreal seeing British birds here though. I almost expected to see dazzling red cardinals or toucans!
My highlight though has to be the Burmese bridge. It is apparently one of the longest in Britain and adds a fresh perspective to the Jungle. Crossing it was really exciting and was easily the highlight of my time in the Jungle area. I felt as if I was high up in the canopy of a rainforest, even though I was outside on a cold UK morning.
The Estate
The rest of the estate is also open to the public. It is carefully managed for all of the local wildlife, including the local plant species. If you love birds, there is also a fantastic hide in the woodland. We saw lots of woodland birds when we sat here, but we could have easily sat still in that hide all day.
During the spring, these ancient woodlands are also home to native bluebells and other blooming flowers. Definitely a top destination if you, like me, love that time of year.
Final Thoughts | Visiting the Lost Gardens of Heligan
The Lost Gardens of Heligan are some of the most unique gardens in the UK. It is a really good day out and you could easily spend hours getting lost amongst the plants. Whilst my highlight was certainly The Jungle, there is something for everyone to enjoy. If you want to know anything more about my visit, or how it fitted in with my 10 day Cornwall itinerary, just ask.
Other posts that may help you:
- Visiting St. Michael’s Mount | Planning a Trip to Marazion
- Days Out in Southern England
- Three Days in Devon | A Short Itinerary
- One Week in Wales: UK Road Trip Itinerary
Thank you for reading and I hope that my post has been useful and have helped to inspire an adventure to The Lost Gardens of Heligan!
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Happy exploring,
Love Victoria X
