Rome Addict
100+ Posts
I haven't seen a lot of discussion about this particular attraction (either here or slow trav) in Cornwall. Created in the early 1900s the garden at one time had 22 full time gardeners. They all went off to war (WW1) and none came back. The garden fell into disrepair and was literally lost. In 1990 due to a chance discovery of a door in a falling down wall the restorers imaginations became fired and the task of restoring a once great garden began anew.
We spent a lovely day at the gardens. It is an amazing blend of traditional english gardens, flower beds, herb gardens, walled rose gardens. They are combined with the 19th century ethos of small hidden delights and water features (small streams, waterfalls).
But beyond that Heligan is a trip through the Looking Glass. Maybe they didn't intend it that way but a huge sense of whimsy informs the visitors experience. From the mad hatter's tea party to a door to the Red Queeen's domain references to Alice's adventures are multiple and various. Add in a sleeping mud maiden
, a ginger headed, imp and foreboding, twisting winding tree
limbs and it is an other worldly experience.
We spent a lovely day at the gardens. It is an amazing blend of traditional english gardens, flower beds, herb gardens, walled rose gardens. They are combined with the 19th century ethos of small hidden delights and water features (small streams, waterfalls).
But beyond that Heligan is a trip through the Looking Glass. Maybe they didn't intend it that way but a huge sense of whimsy informs the visitors experience. From the mad hatter's tea party to a door to the Red Queeen's domain references to Alice's adventures are multiple and various. Add in a sleeping mud maiden
, a ginger headed, imp and foreboding, twisting winding tree
limbs and it is an other worldly experience.
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