garden Archives - Explore Cornwall

Trerice House & Gardens

Caitlin — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 15:29:56 +0000

At the end of last year Scott and I headed down the narrow country lanes to Trerice House, a National Trust location on the outskirts of Newquay. Although it’s one of the smaller NT outfits, its still definitely worth the visit.
As we went at the end of the year, there wasn’t much in the way of flowers that we normally associate with NT gardens, but with Trerice you get the added bonus of their beautiful apple orchards which were in full swing.

Not much is known about Trerice’s history or the family that lived here. Through marriage the land was inherited by the Arundell family of St Columb Minor in the 1570’s, with John Arundell V having the original much smaller house built between 1572-3. This house changed a lot over its years, with extensions being added on until you’re left with the finished product today; a dutch style Elizabethan house which was primarily built from St Columb elvan and granite.

The last Arundell died in 1768 and the land went to the Acland family who’s primary residence was in Devon so didn’t visit all that often. Little of significance happened until WWII, when the house and grounds became a base for the home guard, namely the 11th Cornwall Batallion. They were nicknamed the ‘Choughs’ due to the birds gallantry and furtiveness, hence the number of chough images seen throughout the house.
The National Trust bought the house from Somerset de Chair in 1953 for £12,000 and after undergoing significant renovations was opened to the public.

We started off our little self guided tour on the south-east side of the house, in the Elizabethan knot garden and orchard just past the visits entrance. The paths here lead up to the front of the house and the front court and we took the short flight of steps onto the Kayling lawn. Kayling was the Cornish name for skittles and Trerice holds a unique set of 16th century oak pins (although these aren’t the ones you can play on the green!). There are several sets of games on the green that anyone can play.

After Scott had had a couple of games of skittles we pottered across the grass towards the parade ground and down to the potager garden.

The potager garden was a beautiful little allotment with a variety of flowers and vegetables growing.

We then retraced our steps to the entrance to the house and began a tour of the inside. The tour begins in the Great Hall; this dates from the original construction of the house and its size and grandeur would have reflected the wealth of the owners. It was used to host all manner of events and banquets, but also would have served as a sleeping space for servants.
The stunning windows are made up of 576 panels and is one of a kind, the largest and oldest of its type in Cornwall. The glass for this was brought into the country in the 16th century, a true show of wealth at this time. Many of the panels have been changed over its life, with some dating from each century since it was first installed. The large wood table in the centre dates from the 19th century and was made from wood from the Acland’s Holnicotes Estate in Somerset.

The rest of the tour takes you through a large living room, which had multiple functions from a food store room to a room for servants. Other sections of the house include the master bedroom, a long hall filled with paintings and artefacts and a more modern bar. Each room features information cards about the rooms history and key parts.

The tour ends in at the gift shop and after a quick browse headed straight across to the converted barn for lunch.

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Enys Gardens

Caitlin — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 14:01:54 +0000

Enys house and gardens near the village of Enys, Penryn has been home to the Enys family since at least 1272. The estate currently includes over 1,000 acres of farm and woodland, although at one point the family also owned land in Camborne, St Agnes and Portscatho. It’s name originated from the Enys village, with enys or ennis coming from the Cornish meaning ‘island’.

Parc Lye is probably the most famous part of the estate and encompasses the 6 acres of bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta). These bloom through early spring and create a sea of blue-purple across the grounds.

The family history is extensive and features numerous members of armed forces and links with other Cornish families such as the Pendarvis’, Basset’s and Penrose’s. The most recent owners are Enys Henry Enys, nee Rogers (1861-1939), Charles Reginald Saltren Enys, nee Rogers (1897-1980), Gordon Leonard Rogers (1916-2006) and current owners Wendy Fowler and Christoper Rogers.

Enys house has an eclectic history, with its current version being the third instalment. No records exist of the first house which was built on another unknown part of the estate, but the second would have been an Elizabethan or Jacobean E-shaped mansion build just before the civil war. In the 1820’s, the house suffered major damage from a fire. The parts of the building that survived were incorporated into the present day structure.

The final house was built by John Samuel Enys (1796-1872), who inherited the estate in 1821. Much of the more detailed architecture was done by Henry Harrison, a London architect who also produced designs for the gardens. Some of the building was made with granite from St Stephen and Aberthaw lime stone. At the end of the 19th century and into the 20th, few changes were made to the house. As the current proprietors were away in New Zealand, they frequently sent back plants and seeds, creating the New Zealand garden that exists today.

In 1940, the Dutch Navy acquisition the property for training purposes, particularly as they could no longer return to the Netherlands. This was an ideal location for them due to its proximity with the Carrick Roads, known for its deep waters. Following the departure of the Navy in 1946, the family lived in the house for a short while, but struggled to fully staff the place. In 1950 the house was used as a Preparatory school for boys aged 7-13. This venture however was short lived, and the house has remained empty since.

It is currently in a state of disrepair, although extensive work has been done to try and rectify this. At one point, the house was home to 8 species of bats, which took a great deal of time and money to remove from the main areas of the property. Efforts have also been made to get rid of the rot and woodworm.

There is a new orchard has been designed to grown different varieties of Cornish apples. Some that are already in place are the dessert apples ‘Cornish Aromatic’ and ‘Cornish Honey Pin’ as well as cider apples ‘Captain Broad’ and ‘Tan Harvey’. At the bottom of the gardens are a set of ponds which were originally designed for practical purposes, supply water for both the house and fish stocks. They now provide a calm and tranquil environment in which to walk and enjoy the eclectic mix of plants.

Near the ponds is still visible one of the two waterwheels that were built in 1821. This one would have pumped water up to the main house, while another hidden in the valley near Carvinack supplied a now overgrown reservoir and fire hydrants. Enys is home to a granite Cornish cross, which originated from West Penwith where it was sent in return for a “cartload of things”. It’s been in place since at least 1848.

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Tregothnan House and Garden’s

Caitlin — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 16:57:48 +0000

The Tregothnan estate sits beside the river Fal near the village of St Micheal Penkevil. It’s substantial gardens are the largest in Cornwall and boasts a wide variety of plants and trees.

This land was acquired by the Boscawen family in 1334 following the marriage of John Boscawen to Joan Tregothnan. The original medieval house was ransacked during the civil war and the then heir Hugh Boscawen (1680–1734) moved to the south-eastern side of the estate, establishing a new house. Part of this structure still remains.

He was named the first Viscount Falmouth in 1720 (more commonly known as Lord Falmouth these days). The next in line, another Hugh Boscawen (1707–1782) took the title next. The first Viscounts second son Admiral Hon Edward Boscawen was noted for his part in the Seven Year War, particularly during the Battle of Lagos.

The Viscount title then went to George Evelyn (1758–1808) in 1782. In 1800, manuka honey plants were flown from New Zealand and planted on the estate. Next in line was his son Edward (1787–1841); he was named the first Earl of Falmouth in 1820; he was also part of a group of politicians and landowner known as the Cornish Whig. This group all consulted Humphry Repton, a great landscape designer, on improvements that could be made to their estates. A large part of the main house was rebuilt between 1816-18 by William Wilkins.

In 1821, the second Earl, George Henry Boscowen (1811–1852), took over and had further changes made to the house and gardens by Lewis Vulliamy and William Andrews Nesfield, respectively. George died unmarried and the earldom ended with him. The Viscount title did however continue with his cousin Evelyn (1819-89), who with his brother Hon and Rev John Townshend Boscawen of Lamorra, was involved in adding a number of camellias and rhododendrons on the Tregothnan grounds.

The seventh Viscount was Evelyn Edward Thomas Boscawen (1847–1918) who also inherited the Le Despencer barony from his mother. The title then went to Evelyn Hugh John Boscawen (1887–1962) and finally George Hugh Boscawen (b. 1919). The heir is his first son Hon. Evelyn Arthur Hugh Boscawen (b. 1955).

In 2005, Tregothnan started selling the first English grown tea made from Camellia sinensis plants that are grown on the estate. Many of these were brought over from China in the 1840’s, reaching Tregothnan in 1999. They also grow unique Kea plums which are made into their own plum jam

The Boscawen family also had their fingers in a number of mining pies. Mines in from in Bissoe, Chacewater and Scorrier, including Great Wheal Baddern, Nangiles, Wheal Jane, Mount Wellington, Killifreth, Wheal Busy and Hallenbeagle, among others. Many of these were very rich in copper and/or tin, allowing the expansion of their mining reach down as far as Botallack.

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Trengwainton Gardens

Caitlin — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 14:56:20 +0000

Trengwainton on the outskirts of Penzance, is comprised of a Grade II listed house and gardens, both wooded and walled.

The land has been own by a number of different families since the late medieval period, starting with the Cowling family. The property was sold by Thomas Cowling to Francis Arundell in 1688 who had the house rebuilt in 1692. At some time around 1700, the land was sold to the Praed family who rented it out as a farm.

In 1813, Sir Rose Price bought the estate and during its time under his ownership he had the house remodelled, increasing it in size. He also created the raised terrace, the right entrance lodge, walled gardens, fish ponds and planted shelterbeds.

However, in 1833 following the abolition of slavery, plantations owned by the Price family in Jamaica were closed, having a significant financial impact. Sir Rose Price died two years later and the estate was sold to Henry Lewis Stephens of Tregenna Castle, St Ives, to help pay off some of the debt.

In 1867 the estate was acquired by Thomas Simon Bolitho, a member of the “Merchant Princes of Cornwall” Bolitho family. Their reach included banks (notably Barclays), mines, tin smelters, ships and pilchard fisheries. His son, Thomas Robins Bolitho again reformed the main house and gardens. When he died in 1925 the estate was left to his nephew Lt-Col Sir Edward H W Bolitho of York House, Penzance.

It was under Lt-Col that more significant developments were made to the gardens. In 1927, he was invited to share in a seed hunting expedition to Burma and Assam, from which over 150 species were brought back, including a number of the rhododendrons. In 1961, Lt-Col Bolitho gave the estate over to the National Trust with the condition that the family could remain in residence. His son Major Simon Edward Bolitho took over the house until his death in 1991. The house then went to his eldest son Col Edward Bolitho OBE who still lives there.

The garden is famous for its extensive variety of plants, ferns and trees. The estate has over 50 species of magnolia, but it is the rhododendrons that Trengwainton is truly famous for – many of the species originated from the above mentioned Burma/Assam trip and were raised by head gardener Alfred Creek who was responsible for the creation of a number of hybrids.

Trengwainton also boasts a number of Champion trees:
Craibiodendron yunnanense, Dodecadenia grandiflora, Eucryphia x hillieri and Hoheria populnea

Just under 90 of its trees are included on The Tree Register, a record of ancient and historical trees.

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Spring at Glendurgan

Caitlin — Sun, 31 Mar 2019 18:21:39 +0000

Some photos from a recent trip to Glendurgan Garden, a National Trust garden near Falmouth.

For a post about the gardens history go here.

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Trelissick Illuminations 2018

Caitlin — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 14:45:34 +0000

This year Trelissick did their wonderful illuminations again. Scott and I had previously visited last winter, the photos of which can be found here.

During the winter season they light up all of the garden with different coloured lights. This year they were all fixed colours, rather than changing.

This is always great and lets you see the garden in a different light (literally).

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