The metamorphic rocks of the south coast of Cornwall are routinely scribed with narrow valleys sloping down to the sea. Facing south, the sub-tropical microclimates that lurk here were recognised by wealthy Victorians as great places to build statement gardens. There are many of note, but Falmouth has two fine examples living cheek by jowl. Once owned by two prominent local brothers, Trebah Gardens and Glendurgan Gardens are just a fifteen-minute drive east from The Captain’s House.
Trebah is a beautiful conceived and kept garden full of tree ferns, bamboos, gunnera, and hydrangeas, under a canopy of towering trees. Paths wander down to a beach used as an embarkation point for the D Day landings. There is a café on the beach and a memorial to Donald Healey, of Austin Healey fame, a local boy who once lived here. Higher up, an amphitheatre, that puts on plays from time to time. We recently took grandchildren to a creepy-crawly meet-and-greet around Halloween.
Glendurgan, next door, is ablaze with colour in the Autumn: a splendid golden Tulip tree, vibrant bronze-red Swamp Cypress, and a colourful Katsura Tree with its delicious candyfloss aroma. But it seems less complete than Trebah; more natural perhaps than its next-door neighbour. The valley also leads down to a beach and Durgan, a huddle of cottages on the shore, once a fishing village. The fantastic maze is a highlight: squat cherry laurel walls resembling a tea plantation in Assam. It was laid out in 1833, the same year as The Captain’s House was built.
Trebah feels fully grown, confident and welcoming. Glendurgan a younger sibling which, even after a couple of centuries, is still a work in progress. Both are highly recommended. You can easily spend half a day at each, or longer, if you want to linger, or swim in the Helford River that laps the bottom of both gardens, where they also cross the South West Coast Path.
