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Trelissick is one of the National Trust’s big, open spaces that simply allows you to be out in the fresh Cornish air away from traffic and the concrete jungle.  It’s a brilliant spot for families with kids and dogs; you can lose yourself in the woodland, emerging randomly to find a stunning view out over the River Fal, complete with bobbing sail boats. With over five miles of walking you can really get off the beaten track and find some space to yourself.

The gardens occupy their very own peninsula and are split into two – the slightly more formal tended gardens and the wider estate of woodland and open parkland. With water on three sides, there’s a lovely sense of being slightly cut off from the frantic modern world; you can almost see shoulders dropping and heart rates slowing around you. And in a world where we’re often told not to walk on the grass, children are actually encouraged to climb trees at Trelissick (just don’t let them climb too high!).

The team at Trelissick can give details of set walks that follow the river, with views across to narrow creeks, before heading into the woods. You might spot the King Harry Ferry to-and-froing across the water – it’s been voted one of the most beautiful ferry crossings in the world, giving you some idea of the stunning nature of the surroundings here.

The formal gardens don’t have the instant exotic feel of places like Trebah; this is a more understated place where it’s all about the peace of the atmosphere and a less structured feel. Autumn is one of the best times for colour at Trelissick, as the leaves turn gold in the woodland and the gardens bloom with late-flowering plants.  The hub of Trelissick is a complex of rugged, old former farm buildings, with a striking fairy tale tower; you’ll find a good café, a gift shop, bookshop and a plant centre. Sunday lunches here have a loyal following.

Like all National Trust properties, there’s plenty going on throughout the year at Trelissick, from wassailing in January to Christmas events. Lecture lunches on a huge variety of subjects are a stalwart of the Trelissick calendar.

Trelissick Garden is open daily.

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Trelissick Garden
Feock, Nr Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6QL, Tel. 01872 862090

There’s something about the term ‘sub-tropical’ that fills a Brit with longing. It sounds like something that couldn’t possibly be found in cloudy, windy England. And yet…Trebah Garden, in a tucked-away little valley near Falmouth, promises something a little more exotic than we’re used to on these shores.

Trebah is a brilliant blend of stunning gardens and lovely Cornish beach. The steep valley that houses Trebah means that the garden enjoys the kind of sheltered environment that gives it its own unique climate. And don’t the plants love it – plants more often seen in far flung corners of the planet. And to add to the interest, this part of Cornwall has more than a hint of shady smuggling history about it – across the water is Frenchman’s Creek, immortalised by Daphne du Maurier .

There’s plenty for the green-fingered to get excited about here, from the Hydrangea Valley and the Giant Pink Tulip Tree to the rare evergreens and water garden. Children – who may sigh at the thought of a garden visit – will love Trebah. It’s not just that there are all kinds of child-oriented activities like the bamboo maze, the Elephant Rhubarb passage and the two cafes with an emphasis on local ice cream. Trebah has an irresistible ‘Swallows and Amazons’ quality, with secret pathways and bridges leading down to the pretty beach of Polgwidden Cove with its boathouse and views far out to sea. Complementary buckets and spades are available for children who can’t leave a beach without a stint of excavation, and the café even doles out sunscreen for those who’ve forgotten.

A busy calendar of events, particularly in school holidays, means there’s always something going on, from guided trails and workshops for the kids to art exhibitions and occasional music events for adults.

Trebah Garden is open every single day. There’s good wheelchair access (around 80% of the venue is accessible by motorised wheelchair, and Trebah has two of them available to use free of charge). The garden is dog friendly (except inside the cafes).

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Trebah Garden
Mawnan Smith, Nr Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 5JZ, Tel. 01326 252200

Heligan is undoubtedly one of Cornwall’s most famous attractions and although it’s been written about hundreds if not thousands of times, a list of Cornwall’s best gardens would look very odd without it. The sheer scale and diversity of the Lost Gardens of Heligan are astonishing; the team there has been steadily restoring and expanding for over 20 years now and there’s far more to see than a single day’s visit can encompass.

Even the names of the individual areas give a sense of intrigue and excitement: The Lost Valley, The Pleasure Grounds, The Alpine Ravine, The Jungle. It all adds to the other-worldliness that is such a big part of the Heligan experience and which seems to culminate in the giant rhubarb plants that tower above children’s heads. Huge tree ferns, banana plantations and a microclimate that often causes temperatures to sit 5 degrees above those outside of Heligan make you question whether you’re really in Cornwall at all – and then you find pineapples growing in the Victorian gardens (amongst 200-plus varieties of heritage fruits and vegetables) for a real dose of the surreal.

Heligan has a long and chequered history. The original manor was built way back in the 13^th century and Heligan remained in the same family for many generations as the gardens were developed and collections of exotic plants established. During the First World War, the estate was used as a convalescence hospital for soldiers, followed by a US army base in the Second World War. During the 1970s, the house was divided into flats and sold off, and the gardens were neglected until their re-discovery in 1990. As you wind your way through the hundreds of acres of estate, there’s plenty of information about the many changes but for many just soaking up the atmosphere is enough.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan has everything you’d expect for a full day out – cafes, shops (including a great farm shop next door) and good wheelchair and pushchair access to much of the estate. The estate manager leads regular guided walks around Heligan, perfect for those who really want the behind-the-scenes secrets.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan are near St Austell, close to the south coast of Cornwall. We recommend making an early start for your visit and spending a full day there to explore. Open all year round, spring is a favourite time to visit for the mass of bluebells and the famous National Collection of Camellias and Rhododendrons in bloom.

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Lost Gardens of Heligan
Pentewan, St Austell, Cornwall, PL26 6EN, Tel. 01726 845100

It’s no surprise that Cornwall, flanked on three sides by lots and lots of water as it is, hosts a busy calendar of water sport competitions. There’s nothing like spending half the day falling off a surfboard before watching the best surfers in Europe giving a master class in the sport in one of the big surf competitions that take place at Watergate Bay every year. Think of it as inspiration.

May always brings the English National Championships to Watergate Bay, with categories encompassing everyone from the very best surfers in the country to the youngest just starting out in the sport. This event has a great ‘grass roots’ feel – it’s a very inclusive competition.

The European Pro Longboard Tour, in the autumn, is a very different species – these guys surf for their living and so they’re ambitious and hungry to win. There are thousands of Euros in prize money at stake, and the competition is cut-throat – all the more exciting for spectators.

Boardmasters, in Newquay over a week in August, is a big, brash, noisy affair. Surf, skateboarding and BMX competitions, live music and a two-day music festival make this a key date in the calendar for those who like their sport with a big helping of youth culture – previous line ups have featured Dizzee Rascal, The Streets and Fatboy Slim. Tickets sell out quickly, so you need to be organised for this one.

Away from surfing, Thundercat racing (very fast motor catamarans),kitesurfing, gig racing and stand-up paddleboarding all get their turn at wowing the crowds with hard-fought competitions. You don’t need to be well-versed in the sports to enjoy a day out at the beach watching the competitions; it’s enough to see passionate people battling it out on the water and showing how good amateur sport can be.

Except for the Boardmasters events, all events mentioned above are free for spectators and can make a great family day on the beach even better. You never know, it might just inspire you to try a new sport while you’re in Cornwall.

English National Championships, European Pro Longboard Tour, Thundercat Racing, British Stand Up Paddle Association National Championships and British Kitesurfing Association ‘Legends of the Bay’ Competition all at Watergate Bay during 2013. For detailed information, see Watergate Bay events.

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Boardmasters
Early August, Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 1HY, Tel. 0870 264 3333

Festivals have become big business in recent years, and many are glossy, media-driven extravaganzas – all well and good, but sometimes it can be nice to experience something a little more homespun and organic. Lostfest, in the pretty inland town of Lostwithiel, is just that.

Rather than being a sleekly professional affair with a big price tag, Lostfest is the exuberant coming-together of a community passionate about the arts – and it’s free to everyone. On just one day in May, Lostwithiel is transformed into a giant outdoor arts centre, with live music, art displays, demonstrations and workshops, kid’s activities and literary performances. Barbecues, food stalls with every type of cuisine and beer tents spring up along the streets – you can eat your way around the world while you’re being entertained. Stalls selling jewellery, antiques, hand knits and photography offer great present-buying opportunities.

The museum flings open its doors to showcase the history of this ancient little town with its pretty medieval bridge. The churchyard becomes a miniature literary festival and on the tiny beach along the river that snakes through Lostwithiel you’ll find all kinds of children’s activities taking place.

It can feel as if every musician in Cornwall is busking on the streets; the atmosphere is friendly and inclusive, as if you’ve been invited to the best party of the year. In 2012, over 150 performers strutted their stuff throughout Lostwithiel. It seemed like no music genre was left out – samba and pop combined with Morris Dancing and barbershop quartets; Indie rock and ukulele players, Celtic folk and a brass band – this is probably the most eclectic mix of entertainment you’ll find in one event. Whether you just want to sip a drink and soak it all in or get involved and learn to, say, weave willow or indulge in a bit of face-painting, it’s a pick’n’mix of activity all day and on into the evening when the main band cranks up and the dancing starts in earnest.

Lostfest is a festival that makes you feel good in so many ways; all money raised goes to FLEET, a charity that supports the ambulance service in Cornwall. This is community spirit at its best.

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Lostfest
Lostwithiel, mid-May.

You don’t need to own a boat, be a seasoned sailor or even a yacht enthusiast to have a great time at Fowey Regatta. Sailing may be at the heart of this week-long party, and watching the sailing from the harbour (preferably with ice-cream in hand) is always fun, but there’s so much more going on in this beautiful Cornish town.

There’s a long list of events for each of the Regatta’s days and you might well struggle to narrow down what you want to see and do. Highlights often include the Red Arrows doing their crazy thing in the skies above the harbour, a huge firework display to kick the week off and then another to end it, and the arrival of the boats themselves – a staggering sight as they appear en masse around the headland from Falmouth and crowd into the harbour.

The Town Quay hosts an array of live music, from traditional choirs to contemporary pop, every evening throughout the regatta. The carnival itself winds its way through the narrow streets mid-week in timeless Cornish summer style. Be prepared for the younger kids to get hopelessly over-excited and exhausted – crab-catching competitions, magic shows, beach combing expeditions, fun runs and children’s sports mean they won’t stand still for a minute.

The sailing itself is hard-fought – the crews are here to win – so competition is keen and a real eye-opener for spectators. The emphasis is on sailing, but the gig rowers play their part too and there are also fun raft and working boat races. With the water teeming with vessels of all shapes and sizes, it’s an incredible spectacle.

When you need a breather from all the frenetic activity, Fowey has a café or pub on every corner. Window seats in waterside venues are as popular as you’d imagine, so planning a day at the Regatta in advance and booking tables can make all the difference. Fowey is an easy drive from the north coast; parking is limited in the heart of Fowey town, but there are several car parks on the outskirts, all a 5-10 minute walk to the harbour.

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Fowey Regatta and Carnival
Late August, Tel. 01726 832133. For parking and other general information – www.fowey.co.uk

Festivals come in many shapes and sizes. If wall-to-wall R&B or hip hop doesn’t hit the spot for you, the Port Eliot Festival might. This four day event is a staggering cultural buffet, often called a ‘festival of ideas’. Not just music, but literature, art, fashion and food combine to make a long weekend of creativity and relaxation that has put this tiny corner of Cornwall firmly on the festival map.

It’s hard to believe the organisers fit everything on offer into just four days. The 2014 line up (unfortunately Port Eliot is skipping a year in 2013) is mind-boggling in its variety and sheer scale. Almost fifty literary folk will be giving readings, interviews or workshops, including big-hitters like Tracy Chevalier (of ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’ fame) and Dominic West of ‘The Wire’ and ‘The Hour’ TV dramas (yes, we’re pretty excited about that one, too). Beth Orton will lead a chilled-out music vibe; there will be live performances from across the spectrum from around fifty performers. There’s even a flower show!

Witnessing all this talent in one fell swoop is going to make you hungry. There’ll be no nasty junk food here – Angela Hartnett, Nathan Outlaw and Tom Parker Bowles head the dozen or so top-flight chefs who’ll be whipping up gourmet loveliness over the weekend.

While many festivals are not altogether appropriate environments for children, the Port Eliot Festival is fully geared up for families – it’s safe but exciting for the young. All kinds of magic is laid on for kids with a packed programme of entertainment – music, drama, dance, storytelling and even fantastic dress-up and make-up with some of fashion’s hottest designers. Children under eight get free entry, too.

The location of the Port Eliot Festival makes it even more special – in rolling countryside and woodland along an estuary, there’s a fairy tale feel. The organisers don’t stint on the accommodation, either. A couple of days spent at the festival make a brilliant and very unusual add-on to a self-catering break – it’s camping, but not as you know it. There are tipis and yurts, gypsy caravans and Airstream caravans to rent for a night or two – and they are all beautifully presented with luxury in mind. Port Eliot is a festival wonderland not to be missed.

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Port Eliot Festival
Late July, St Germans, Cornwall, PL12 5ND, Tel. 01503 232783

Back in 2006, as Watergate Bay prepared to host the first ever Polo on the Beach, there were raised eyebrows and incredulous looks. Beaches were for buckets and spades, paddling and surfing, not for a fast-paced game involving dozens of ponies. Many agreed that it would be a huge novelty but that it just wouldn’t work and nobody would come to watch. How wrong they were.

In September 2012, Watergate Bay put on the sixth polo event, before a crowd of thousands who’d had the date circled in their diaries for months. Polo on the Beach has become one of the hottest tickets in the Cornish calendar.

This event is a very rare opportunity to see the country’s best players showcase world-class polo with a backdrop of the sun setting over the waves on one side and dramatic cliffs on the other. The spectators get thrillingly close to the action – the thunder of hooves on sand is a sound like no other. It doesn’t matter if you know nothing about the sport – there’s great commentary that explains the play as it unfolds, and you’ll find yourself cheering at all the right moments like a seasoned fan.

Polo on the Beach has grown into a big, glamorous event – alongside the polo itself there’s always more to see. 2012 featured a demonstration by Olympic medallist Mary King, giving the crowd a real insight into the skills required to manage a pony, a mallet and the ball at breakneck pace. Historically a single evening event, from 2013 Polo on the Beach will be a full weekend of fun including demonstrations and beach-based races like you’ll never have seen before…

As is only right and proper at this kind of event, the refreshments available at Polo on the Beach are suitably stylish; don’t miss the champagne tent – there’s nothing like sipping a glass of fizz as the ponies roar past you. If you fancy making even more of an event of the weekend, VIP tickets are available and include a pre-match reception, canapés and champagne during the match and a chance to chat to the players at the chic after-polo party.

 

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Polo on the Beach
Watergate Bay, Cornwall, TR8 4AA, Tel. 01637 860543

These days it’s tourism that makes Cornwall’s economy tick, but in the 19^th century mining was where fortunes were made in this county. So much of the landscape has been shaped by the mining industry that’s it’s difficult to go anywhere in Cornwall without seeing its effects, particularly in the westernmost edge of the county, West Penwith. The coast here is littered with old engine houses, or ‘wheal houses’, but they don’t give much away about the mines themselves.

Geevor Tin Mine at Pendeen, not far from Land’s End, lets you quite literally look below the surface of Cornish tin mining history. There’s something about leaving the daylight and heading underground into a dark, scary mine that is equal parts fear and exhilaration – and kids love it.

The underground tour at Geevor provides insight into how hard and dangerous life was for the miners and it’s probably the highlight of the venue, but there’s so much more here. There are over twenty mine buildings to poke around, including changing and first aid rooms that have been left in a kind of suspended animation and look just as they were when the last of the miners finished their final shifts. The Hard Rock Museum has all the history in interactive exhibitions and hands-on puzzles and challenges for kids (they can even try mineral panning for heavy metals) and the Peninsula of Minerals Gallery features some of the strangest rocks you’ll ever see.

Outside is a harsh but beautiful landscape dotted with huge old mining artefacts and the imposing Victory shaft, which plunges down for 480 metres. The views out over the Atlantic are spectacular; grab a guide and take the ‘Wildlife on the Edge’ walk when you need a little fresh air and sunshine after the underground tour.

If you combine a Geevor visit with a trip to St Ives during the summer you can travel on the number 300 bus (open top) for some great views of the coast and countryside – and you’ll even get a discount at the mine for your environmentally sound choice of transport.

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Geevor Tin Mine
Pendeen, Penzance, Cornwall, TR19 7EW, Tel. 01736 788662

Bus information

If you’ve only set aside one day of your break for Cornish history, Cotehele is a good choice. This rambling fortified manor house is a bit of an architectural jumble, with buildings added in an almost haphazard fashion. Of primarily Tudor construction, Cotehele takes you through a variety of eras to create a beautiful little lesson in history.

The interior of the main house has been maintained much as the residents of the Georgian era, the Edgcumbes, left it. A family of eccentrics, the house was a canvas for their quirky tastes and is filled with sumptuous tapestries, intriguing furnishings and plenty of slightly disturbing 17^th century war-faring artefacts.

The gardens are just as quirky. Outside the main buildings is the formal East garden; in summer this is a wonderful explosion of colour as the plants flower. The Upper Garden has a Zen-like tranquillity with neat ornamental ponds filled with water lilies. Through a tunnel, however, you’ll emerge into the much wilder Valley Garden, where rhododendrons and azaleas spread over the landscape. A thatched Victorian summer house, medieval dovecote and chapel add to the confusing sense of time.

Cotehele lies on the banks of the Tamar and for many generations river transport rather than road was the principal means of gaining access to the manor. The Victorian quay, beautifully intact, is home to a Tamar sailing barge dating from 1899 – on Sunday afternoons you can climb aboard and explore the hold. The Discovery Centre on the quay tells the story of the industrial heritage of this waterway. The quay borders a vast 1300 acre estate criss-crossed with woodland paths and riverside walks – it’s a wonderland for children.

As always with National Trust properties, the facilities are faultless. Cotehele has two restaurants – one in the 15^th century barn of the main house, one on the quay, each with a different view and menu. A gallery specialising in artists from the West Country and a shop and plant centre give you several reasons to indulge yourself. Children are well-catered for with a special children’s guide, quiz and trail and a play area at the quay.

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Cotehele
St Dominick, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 6TA, Tel. 01579 35134