Durgan

Durgan is a small shingle beach that was, for centuries, a fishing village whose daily catch was transported to Falmouth by donkey. Now a peaceful backwater, Durgan is also home to Trebah Garden - often dubbed the ‘garden of dreams’, and often rated among the top 80 gardens in the world. The Bishops of Exeter long ago owned the ravine in which the garden has been created and in the 1830s the land was bought by the Fox family.

The 25 acres of the garden fall down to a secluded private beach on Helford River and here visitors can discover glades of subtropical shrubs and trees, 100 year old rhododendrons, waterfalls and ponds of giant Koi carp. This is a garden for all the family and children will be enthralled by the Gunnera Passage, a tunnel of giant rhubarb 16 feet high, jungle walks and an exciting paraglide. The purpose-built visitor and education centre includes exhibition space, a lecture theatre, cafe and gift shop.

It also lies at the southern end of Glendurgan Gardens (see also Mawnan Smith), making it possible to have a dual-purpose visit to the area.

Available Guidebooks for this region:

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