If you’re an art enthusiast and you appreciate being surrounded by exotic plants then the Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens will be something of a paradise for you. Sitting within an idyllic valley with streams, woods, subtropical plants and spectacular vistas on the outskirts of the village of Gulval, near Penzance, and overlooking the famous St Michael’s Mount, Tremenheere is a haven for all manner of contemporary art.
Celebrated artists like David Nash, Richard Long, Tim Shaw and James Turrell have had their artworks splashed across the sculpture gardens and there’s always a rolling programme of contemporary exhibits by up-and-coming or well established artists. Much of the work interacts with the beautiful landscape and the exotic plants creating a harmony of thought-provoking pieces and environment.
There’s also the Tremenheere Gallery on the site, which opened in 2017 and has become one of the largest purpose-built art galleries in Cornwall. Two exhibition spaces across two floors inhabit the gallery and past exhibitions have showcased the works of talents like Rose Hilton, Jeremy Le Grice and Jessica Cooper.
The sculpture gardens themselves demand plenty of time from the visitor to wander, marvel at and contemplate. The microclimate here favours exotic and subtropical plant growth, with each of the specimens carrying, as the team behind the gardens says, ‘the unifying theme of sculptural forms, textures and colours which harmonise with what nature has already provided’. Palm trees and bamboo also abound.
The land at Tremenheere was actually once owned by the monks who lived at St Michael’s Mount in the 13th century but they sold it to tenant farmer Michael De Tremenheere in 1295 and it was kept in the family for more than 600 years. In 1890, Seymour Tremenheere planted the holly, sweet chestnut, oak and beech trees which still stand today. A must-see is the attraction’s Chelsea Garden, which boasts 41,000 slate pieces arranged in a layered arc within a sunken dale. The eye-catching work was designed for the Chelsea Flower Show in 2015. In fact, there’s a wealth of exhibitions on at Tremenheere throughout the year. Plus, for some tasty tuck, hit up the fab Tremenheere Kitchen that rests within the grounds. Art on a plate after all those awesome contemporary works that make these unique Cornish sculpture gardens special.