Godolphin

Godolphin was once the largest and finest house in Cornwall, built on the Godolphin family's tin wealth. Begun in the late 1400s, the Grade I-listed house dwindled into a tenanted farm when the money failed in the 19th century, leaving the ghost of a great house beside a registered garden ranked among Cornwall's most important medieval gardens. The 500-acre estate, within the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, takes in old mine workings, woodland and Godolphin Hill, with views to St Ives Bay and St Michael's Mount. Three short walks, of 1.25 to 2 miles, explore the woods, the riverside and Godolphin Hill. The house opens only a few days each month, so check before travelling. Reviewers single out the King's Room, where the future Charles II sheltered during the Civil War; dogs on short leads are welcome in the garden, outbuildings and tea-room. Tips from visitors: satnavs miss it, so follow the brown signs, and the car park meters take cash only. Since Storm Goretti the Piggery tea-room is takeaway only and parts of the estate remain closed.