Our top 5 gardens near Falmouth

18 August 2022

Photograph of the laurel maze at Glendurgan Garden from above
Glendurgan Garden
Type: Text
Category: Discover Cornwall

Whether you’re a student seeking fresh air and new perspectives or you’re visiting Falmouth for an Open Day or event, our local gardens near Falmouth are just the ticket. Here are our top 5 gardens near Falmouth to set you off in the right direction.

Our campus gardens

Call us biased, but our award-winning on-campus gardens really are a must see.  

1. Fox Rosehill Gardens, Falmouth Campus

Have you heard that Falmouth has its own micro-climate? Well, you’ll believe it when you see the array of tropical flora on show in Fox Gardens, which is nestled in the middle of our Falmouth Campus.  

Created in the nineteenth century by the Fox family (who also founded the Falmouth Polytechnic Society – the catalyst for Falmouth School of Art), the exotic plants in the garden arrived from all over world via packet ships. The gardens were donated to the people of Falmouth in 1944, and today you’ll find giant banana plants, palms, cacti, eucalyptus, myrtle, magnolias and so much more.  

2. Penryn Campus gardens

The gardens on Penryn Campus are multi-Green Flag Award winning. Found via wending pathways cut through hedgerows, the gardens consist of a walled garden, herbaceous beds, sub-tropical planting, a fruit-producing orchard, Italian garden and terraces, an 18th Century lime avenue, parkland, a drive with native woodlands and historic rare rhododendrons, which were cultivated on the site in the Victorian era. 

3. Enys Gardens

Situated just outside of Falmouth - and believed to be one of the oldest gardens in Cornwall - Enys Garden is best visited in the spring, when the bluebells are in full bloom.

That said, with 30 acres encompassing an open meadow, ponds, bordered flower garden, elegant boardwalk, Cornish apple tree orchard and a Pinetum – a developing collection of confiders from around the world, the grounds offer year-round beauty and tranquility.  

 

Meadow of bluebells surrounded by trees at Enys Gardens, Cornwall
© Copyright Chris Allen and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. 

 

4. Trebah Garden

The Helford River, just a 15-minute drive out of Falmouth, is not only home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the area, but also amazing gardens – including Trebah and Glendurgan.  

Trebah is a 26-acre Cornish valley garden, with over four miles of footpaths to wander. Along your way you’ll find an array of local and exotic blooms leading you down towards Trebah’s very own secluded beach. Trebah Garden also supports the county’s vibrant performing arts sector with music and theatre performances hosted in its amphitheatre.

Welcome to Trebah Garden

5. Glendurgan Gardens  

The National Trust’s Glendurgan Gardens are perched above the sleepy village of Durgan on the Helford River. Another Fox family project, with its laurel hedge maze, built to entertain the family’s many children, this is the perfect option if you’ve got kids in tow. 

It’s also ideally placed to combine a garden visit with a waterside walk along the north Helford countryside. And what’s a good walk without a pub pitstop? The Ferryboat Inn is a firm favourite for locals and visitors alike.  

Laurel hedge maze at Glendurgan Gardens from above
Photo by Benjamin Elliott on Unsplash.

 

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