Heligan & The Roseland Tour

We start the day with a visit to Charlestown Harbour. Once a bustling China Clay port, this picturesque harbour is still home to wooden boat yards and is often used by visiting tall ships to the area. Used as a backdrop for many TV shows and films, you’ll have some free time to wander amongst the 18^th century walls and film relics.

Next, we visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey. This is a garden for everyone; you don’t have to be a botanist or the slightest bit green fingered to enjoy Heligan. It’s steeped in History, packed full of beautiful plants and there’s a fascinating story around every corner. Your guide will give you a guided tour of the main Garden which takes around an hour, then after a tea or coffee break at the Stewards House, you’ll have the option of exploring the jungle with its subtropical flora and infamous rope bridge!

After lunch in the ancient harbour town of Mevagissey, we head into the much unexplored Roseland Peninsula, spending the rest of the day unearthing some of Cornwall’s best kept secrets. The roads are too small for tour buses and only just wide enough for us…… not for the faint-hearted driver! We start with a 15-minute drive along the coast to Porthluney Beach and the beautiful Caerhays Castle. This 18th century Folly Castle is the home of the Williams family, and is surrounded by acres of sub-tropical gardens, full of Magnolias, Rhododendrons and Camelias…an absolute picture in the spring and early summer. There’s an option here to take lunch at the beachside cafe, with its raised deck area overlooking the ocean.

After lunch we continue around the coast through the tiny villages of Port Holland East and West and on to Portloe, notorious as a smuggler’s hide-out! We’ll have a stop here so you can explore the tiny harbour and photograph the fishing boats.

Following the coast past Carne Beach and through the inland village of Veryan with its famous roundhouses, we arrive at the beautiful sailing village of St Mawes. You’ll have some time here to wander the streets by the harbour with a few galleries and shops and delicious Cornish Ice Cream!

We finish with a drive around the headland, past St Mawes Castle with spectacular views over Falmouth Harbour, and on to visit one of Britains most picturesque Churches, St Just in Roseland. This 13th century church is set on the edge of the estuary, amid acres of Graveyard lovingly planted with subtropical plants and specimen trees, it is unique and a ‘must see’… a fitting end to the day.