Glendurgan Garden

Glendurgan Garden fills three wooded valleys running down to the hamlet of Durgan on the Helford River near Falmouth, planted from the 1820s by the Fox family with tree ferns, magnolias, camellias and other tender exotics that thrive in the sheltered Cornish climate. Its best-known feature is the cherry laurel maze, planted by Alfred Fox in 1833 to a design from the Sydney Gardens in Bath and still baffling visitors today. Children also get the Giant's Stride rope swing, the recreated 1829 schoolroom and nature activities in the Apple Shed, and the path ends at a small pebbly beach with rock pools at low tide and ice creams from the Durgan Fish Cellar. Dogs are welcome on short leads but not in the maze. Reviewers praise the tea house, the wildflower meadows and the knowledgeable guides. Tips from regulars: the paths are steep with steps and cobbles, so borrow a walking stick at the entrance, and leave time for the climb back up before the gate to Durgan is locked.