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Gardens

Cornwall boasts a large number of world-famous gardens, many of which are within easy reach of the hotel

CORNISH GARDENS

Cornwall has a mild sub-tropical climate due to its geographical location on the edge of the Gulf Stream. The great plant hunters of the previous centuries realised this significant factor and as a result Cornish gardens are today considered some of the most famous in the world. The historic nature of these gardens are a testament to their founder families and gardeners and a tribute to those who nurture them today.  

Many of Cornwall's world famous gardens are within easy reach of the hotel. The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Trewithen Gardens and The Eden Project are very close by and are all worth visiting. These gardens have powerful stories to tell and it is impossible to not feel moved by some aspect of time spent here. 

A bridge spanning the pond at Trebah Garden.
Trebah Garden - one of The Great Gardens of Cornwall

Less well known but no less impressive are Lamorran House Gardens and the beautiful spring gardens at Caerhays Castle. Overlooking Porthluney beach, the spring gardens surrounding this beautiful castle are home to The National Collection of Magnolias. From February to April these magnificent plants put on a breath taking display of colour that you don't expect to experience in early spring.

Private guided tours can be arranged for Nare guests at many of these gardens as well as Tregothnan Estate, the UK's largest private botanical garden and the home of English tea.

A man-made waterfall at Trebah Garden.

Below is a full list of the gardens close to the hotel, many of which The Nare has concessionary rates for tickets purchased at the hotel. The Nare Spring Garden Breaks are designed to enable you to see these gardens at their best. However, a surprising number of the gardens are open all year round, and the autumn colours are magnificent.

A girl on her dad's shoulders looks at a champion magnolia in bloom.

Cornwall's Spring Story

Cornwall's Spring Story - the moment Cornish Magnolias flower, spring has arrived in England - was founded by The Nare Hotel in partnership with the Great Gardens of Cornwall.

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Caerhays Estate & Gardens

Porthluney Cove, Near Gorran
Caerhays Castle in Cornwall, surrounded by gardens.

Caerhays Estate & Gardens are everything you could wish for in a spring woodland garden. Holders of the National Magnolia and Podocarpus Collection. It is also the original home of the world famous x williamsii camellias that came across from China.

Helpful information

A twenty minute drive. Gardens are open daily between 10am – 5pm from 17th February - 14th June. Dogs are welcome on a lead. The castle is open weekdays with guided tours at 11:30am, 1:00pm and 2:30pm from 16th March until the 12th June.

Call 01872 501310

Email enquiries@caerhays.co.uk

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Lamorran House Gardens

St Mawes
View of the sea from Lamorran House Gardens in Cornwall.

Set on a four-acre hillside overlooking St Mawes Bay, Lamorran is home to an enormous collection of sub-tropical and warm temperature trees and plants. It is said to be the most northerly Palm Garden in the world, having over 35 species of palm trees.

Helpful information

A twenty minute drive. Open between 10am - 5pm on Wednesdays and Fridays from 1st April – 30th September. No dogs allowed.

Call 01326 270800

Email info@lamorrangardens.co.uk

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Trewithen Estate (RHS Garden)

Grampound Road, Near Probus
Large flowering trees in bloom in a Cornish garden.

A historic estate with a magnificent collection of camellias, rhododendrons and magnolias, wonderful woodland walks and a beautiful family home that is open on selected days for guided tours.

Helpful information

A twenty-five minute drive. Open daily between 10am - 4:30pm between 1st March and 30th June. Dogs are welcome in the gardens on a lead.

Call 01726 883647

Email secretary@trewithenestate.co.uk

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The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Near Mevagissey
The jungle at The Lost Gardens of Heligan

200 acres of beauty, mystery and ground-breaking restoration. Victorian gardens beckon along winding paths, The Jungle is a sub-tropical journey through bamboo tunnels and majestic tree ferns, whilst the estate reveals a lost world of ancient woodlands.

Helpful information

A thirty minute drive. Open daily between 10am - 6pm from April to September and 10am - 5pm October to March. Dogs are welcome on a lead.

Call 01726 845 100

Email info@heligan.com

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Tregothnan Estate

St Michael Penkevil
Magnolias form an arch over a garden path that's blanketed in hot-pink petals.

Home to the Boscawen family, is a living and working Cornish estate dating back to 1334. Known for pioneering botanical firsts, the estate nurtures rare plants, shrubs and Camellia Sinensis (tea plants) within its unique micro-climate.

Helpful information

By private appointment only. The Nare has a long-standing relationship with the Boscawen family and guests have the privileged opportunity to have a private tour of Lord Falmouth's botanical garden and arboretum.

Call 01872 520 000

Email enquiries@tregothnan.co.uk

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Pinetum Gardens

St Austell

Lovingly created over the past four decades this garden is home to one of the largest plant collections in Britain. Set within stunning parkland there are ten themed gardens, including Japanese, Water and Sunken gardens, all which host an array of plants.

Helpful information

A thirty-five minute drive. Open daily throughout the year from 10am - 4pm. Dogs are welcome on a lead.

Call 01726 73500

Email hello@pinetumgardens.com

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Tregrehan Gardens

Near St Austell

A stunning woodland garden with towering conifers and an atmospheric rainforest. Includes over 150 champion trees and many plant species with botanical interest. There is also an old grain mill, a walled garden and a magnificent glasshouse range.

Helpful information

A 40-minute drive. Open 10.30am - 5.30pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from March 15th to May 31st. No dogs.

Call 01726 814389

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Trelissick Estate (National Trust)

Feock, Near Truro
A field and trees with the sea in the distance.

A large, diverse and abundant garden, parkland and wooded National Trust estate, with panoramic views down the Fal and out across Carrick Roads towards the open sea.

Helpful information

About a forty minute drive. The estate is open daily dawn until dusk. The gardens are open daily from 10:30am - 4:30pm and the house from 11:00am - 4:30pm. Dogs are welcome in the estate but not in the grounds of the house.

Call 01872 862090

Email sw.customerenquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk

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The Eden Project

Bodelva, Near St Austell
The Eden Project in Cornwall.

With over a million plants spread across 35 acres, Eden is a horticultural spectacle built into a former quarry pit. Eden's instantly recognisable covered Biomes house the largest rainforest in captivity, thundering waterfalls and Mediterranean landscapes.

Helpful information

A forty-five minute drive. Open daily between 9.30am - 6pm, with the exception of being closed on Mondays and Tuesdays in January. Tickets are available from the hotel reception. Dogs are welcome in outdoor garden areas but not the biomes.

Call 01726 811911

Email example@example.com

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Penjerrick Garden

Budock Water, Near Falmouth

An unspoilt garden with considerable historic and botanic interest. The Upper Garden features Rhododendrons, Tree Ferns, Magnolias, Camellias and the Valley Garden contains a network of ponds, giant Tree Ferns and Gunnera in a wild woodland setting.

Helpful information

A fifty minute drive. Open on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (1st March - 30th September) from 1:30 - 4:30pm.

Call 01872 870105

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Trebah Garden

Mawnan Smith, near Falmouth
Trees and flowering shrubs at Trebah Garden in Cornwall.

A beautiful sub-tropical paradise with a stunning coastal backdrop. Explore under canopies bursting with exotic blooms and follow vibrant tunnels of colour down to a private beach on the Helford River.

Helpful information

About an hour's drive but close to Glendurgan Garden. Open daily from 10am – 4pm with last entry at 3pm. Tickets are available from the hotel reception. Dogs are welcome on a lead.

Call 01326 252200

Email mail@trebah-garden.co.uk

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Glendurgan Gardens (National Trust)

Mawnan Smith, near Falmouth
A hill with bluebells and lots of trees.

Set over three sheltered valleys running down to the Helford River, with weird and wonderful plants from around the world. The garden contains a wonderful laurel maze and a giant stride for the more active. Great for children.

Helpful information

About an hour's drive but close to Trebah Garden. Open between 1.30pm and 4.30pm on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 1st March – 30th September. Dogs not allowed.

Call 01326 252020

Email sw.customerenquiries@nationaltrust.org.uk

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Tremenherre Sculpture Gardens

Near Penzance

A beautiful sheltered valley with dramatic vistas, woods and streams that provide the perfect setting for large scale exotic and subtropical plants, including Palm, Fern and Bamboo trees, and is the backdrop to inspiring artwork from international artists.

Helpful information

A 65-minute drive but close to Trewidden and Trengwainton Gardens. Open daily from 15th February. Dogs are welcome.

Call 01736 448 089

Email hello@tremenheere.co.uk

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Trewidden Garden

Near Penzance

A magnificent collection of Camellias and Magnolias alongside one of the largest Tree Fern dells in Europe. The maze of informal paths leads you around champion trees, many of which are over 100 years old, and species of plants rarely seen in Britain.

Helpful information

A 70-minute drive but close to Tremenherre and Trengwainton Gardens. Open daily from 10.30am - 5.30pm from 16th February until 20th September. Dogs are welcome.

Call 01736 364275

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Trengwainton Gardens

Near Penzance

Award-winning Magnolias and Rhododendrons with five sections of walled gardens full of tender exotic species. Winding wooded paths follow a half-mile incline to sea views across Mount's Bay, and the descent is bordered by a stream garden and open meadows.

Helpful information

A 70-minute drive but close to Tremenherre and Trewidden Gardens. Open Sundays through to Thursdays from 10.30am - 5.00pm from 9th February until 29th October. Dogs are welcome on a lead.

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The country house hotel by the sea