Hydrangea valley
From July to September the whole lower valley turns into a blue and white wave running down to the beach.
Tim Green from Bradford — CC BY 2.0 · greenacre8 — CC BY 2.0 · Vernon39 — Public domain · Tim Green from Bradford — CC BY 2.0
At the end of May 1944, American soldiers of the US 29th Infantry Division filed down this green valley to the small beach at the bottom, loaded into ten flat-bottomed landing craft and sailed from it for Omaha Beach. All that marks it now is a low granite stone by the sand, and around it a garden that looks as if it were lifted out of a Pacific island and set down in the far south-west of England: giant Gunnera leaves that shade a grown man, tree ferns, bamboo tunnels, and an entire valley planted with blue and white hydrangeas. The idea is simple. A deep ravine falls some 60 metres from the visitor centre to Polgwidden Cove on the Helford River, and Cornwall's mild, damp climate lets sub-tropical plants flower as though at home. The Quaker businessman Charles Fox began planting in the 1830s; the garden was neglected for decades before a revival that started in 1981, and it opened to the public in 1987. It peaks twice: spring for the rhododendrons and huge magnolias, and late summer when the hydrangea valley turns blue and white, which coincides with Gulf families' school holidays. For families this is one of Cornwall's most successful gardens: around four miles of paths, children's trails threaded through the planting, a private beach at the bottom where small children can paddle, and a café at the top. The main route is circular and step-free, but it is a real valley: the descent is easy and the return from the beach is a steady climb that tires anyone pushing a buggy or accompanying elderly relatives. Two electric Tramper buggies can be hired, pre-booked by phone or email, and they are in heavy demand in summer. Adults pay £17.50 (£19.25 with the optional Gift Aid donation, which is irrelevant to foreign visitors), children 5-15 £8.75, under-fives free; there is no family ticket. No advance booking is needed and parking is free. Realistically you come by car: 20 minutes from Falmouth through the village of Mawnan Smith, about 40 from Truro, and the last lanes are narrow between high hedges, so take them slowly; a bus does stop at Trebah, but it is only frequent in the main tourist season. Glendurgan, the National Trust garden next door, is a few minutes away with its own entrance and car park; with a full day, do both, but with one garden's worth of time, Trebah is the prettier and the better one for children.
From July to September the whole lower valley turns into a blue and white wave running down to the beach.
A private beach on the Helford River where children paddle, with a granite memorial to the US 29th Infantry Division, who embarked here in 1944 for the D-Day assault on Omaha Beach.
Leaves taller than a person and shaded bamboo walks that children adore, and the most photographed corner of the garden.
Mawnan Smith, Falmouth TR11 5JZ
Trebah. It is more varied and colourful and far better for children, with trails, a beach and a café, while Glendurgan is quieter and simpler, its main draw being the cherry laurel maze planted in 1833. Glendurgan is free for National Trust members only; everyone else pays its own admission, and it keeps a shorter season than Trebah, which opens year-round, so check its times before planning both.
Yes, with a caveat: the main route is circular and step-free, but the return from the beach is a steady 60-metre climb. Book a Tramper electric buggy by phone or email about a week ahead in summer, or keep to the upper garden if someone in the party struggles with hills.