Cornwall is steeped in history and beautiful gardens. So why not combine them both and spend a day touring the house and grounds at Cotehele?
Cotehele, just outside the village of St Dominick and not too far from either Liskeard or Saltash, has a wonderful Tudor house on its grounds, as well as a beautiful garden, spectacular views of the nearby valley and a working mill set on a historic quay. For centuries, this estate was the ancestral home of the influential Edgcumbe family and the house is a perfect Tudor relic, full of oak furniture, antiques, tapestries, arms and armour. There’s even a set of giant whale jawbones here which led to a 150-year-old mystery that has recently been solved.
The formal garden and grounds at Cotehele are as impressive as the house. Planted terraces, a valley garden with a medieval stew pond and two orchards that boast local apples and cherries are just some of the highlights you’ll see when you tour the estate. And then there’s a restored sailing barge, the Shamrock, that was built in 1899 and is moored up at the quay, telling the tale of the local vessels that used to take market-gardening produce from Cotehele down the River Tamar to nearby Plymouth during the 19th century.
Pre-booking your visit to Cotehele at weekends and during school holidays is recommended. It takes a while to tour the house and the Discovery Centre down at the quay, as well as those beautiful grounds and garden. Plus, a Cornish cream tea in the estate’s Edcumbe tea-room is an absolute must, as are the cakes and sandwiches at its Barn Restaurant. Local artists also exhibit works at its Bull Pen Gallery and there’s a plant centre and a secondhand bookshop here that are worth a browse. All in all, for both history buffs and nature lovers, you’ll find few places in Cornwall more suited to your tastes than Cotehele.