Heligan, ("The Willows" in Cornish), dates back to the twelfth century.
Situated at the head of the valley that overlooks the fishing village of
Mevagissey, it was at one time part of an estate of over 1000 acres. During
the First World War, over one-half of the staff perished on the mud of Flanders
and the gardens became overgrown and, in effect, went to sleep.
In 1990, John Willis inherited the gardens. Through the effort of the British
Trust for Conservation (BCTV) and the Countryside Commission with its "Task
Force Trees" initiative, the area was cleared and over 5,000 new trees were
planted. Miraculously, much of the original plant stock survived and sprouted
again in a beautiful display of seasonal colors.
The gardens include many wild flowers, a vegetable garden, an Italian Garden,
and the Jungle Garden of exotic flora.
We visited the gardens twice in July, 1995, and strongly recommend it to all
of you who love gardens and gardening. Although not as formally laid out as
some other Cornish gardens, Heligan is unique in its wide variety of plant
life and the lush jungle garden. Of special interest are the three unique
garden tools that are custom made for the gardens and that you can pick up
when you visit. The gardens are now run by the Cornwall Gardens Trust and are a
wonderful find.
To find out more information such as our
opening times, entry prices, directions
and details of our facilities, please
email us by using this link:
info@heligan.com
