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Lost Gardens of Heligan

1.24 miles (2 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap Enjoy a stroll around these stunning botanical gardens near Pentewan and Mevagissey in Cornwall. There are 200 acres to explore with Victorian Productive Gardens, romantic Pleasure Grounds and a lush sub-tropical Jungle.
Highlights include the super woodland walk where you will pass some of the amazing Heligan sculptures including The Giant's Head, Mud Maid and Grey Lady. In the jungle section you can cross the long Burmese Rope Bridge over the tranquil ponds then lose yourself in tunnels of towering bamboo.  In the pleasure grounds you'll find Maori-carved tree ferns, ancient rhododendron boughs and the delightful Mediterranean Italian Garden. You can also venture into the wider estate where there are wonderful views of the surrounding Cornish countryside. Also look out for a variety of wildlife including insects and butterflies in the wildflower meadow. You can 'virtually' explore the gardens using the google street view link below.
There is parking available at the gardens but if you wanted to walk or cycle to Heligan you could follow the Pentewan Trail from either St Austell or Mevagissey. It's a super off road cycle and walking trail which runs along National Cycle Route 3 and passes the eastern side of the gardens.
You can extend your walking from Mevagissey by following the coast path south to the village of Gorran Haven. Here you will find a lovely harbour, beautiful beaches and the highest headland on the south coast of Cornwall at Dodman Point.

Postcode

PL26 6EN - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Please click here for more information

Lost Gardens of Heligan OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Lost Gardens of Heligan Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The Mevagissey Walk starts from the nearby settlement and visits the lovely beach of Pentewan before passing close to the gardens. The picturesque fishing village is also well worth exploring with its photogenic harbour and interesting narrow streets full of quaint old shops and pretty cottages.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Cornwall Walks page.

Photos

The lost Gardens of Heligan - geograph.org.uk - 2616

Lake view

The Lost Gardens of Heligan - geograph.org.uk - 1298228

This is called the melon yard which is part of the northern gardens. A melon house, pineapple pit and working buildings can be found here.

The Mud Maid, Lost Gardens of Heligan - geograph.org.uk - 1464263

The Mud Maid natural sculpture

The Lost Gardens of Heligan - geograph.org.uk - 1299818

This area of the gardens is known as The Jungle and the picture shows the middle pond.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan - Italian Garden - geograph.org.uk - 197952

Italian garden

Rhododendrons and bamboo, Heligan Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 412656

Rhododendrons and bamboo, Heligan Gardens

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Lost Gardens of Heligan.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Lost Gardens of Heligan.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)