Cotehele, Eden Project, and Lanhydrock: Three Great Cornish Gardens in .NET

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Cornwall, blessed with the mildest climate in England, is equally blessed with magnificent gardens Check out these three places where plant lovers can revel in nature Two of them are former estates with fascinating houses; the third is newer

Set on the steep, wooded slopes of the River Tamar, west of Plymouth, Cotehele (pronounced Co-teel; % 01579/351-346) is a marvelous manor house with magnificent gardens one of the least altered medieval houses in England Built of granite and slate, Cotehele blends in naturally with the landscape The rooms inside, unlit by electricity (some so dim you may have trouble finding your way), display a wonderful collection of ancient furniture, textiles, and tapestries The chapel contains the oldest working domestic clock in England, still in its original place Formal gardens, terraces, and a daffodil meadow surround the house, situated near the top of the valley The steep valley gardens below contain many species of exotic plants that thrive in Cornwall s mild climate The house is a National Trust property A good restaurant is in the nearby medieval barn You need at least two hours to see everything Admission costs 840 ($17), 420 ($850) for children, 21 ($42) for families (2 adults, 2 children) From mid-March through October, the house is open Saturday through Thursday from 11 am to 5 pm (in Oct until 4:30 pm); the gardens are open year-round from 10:30 am to dusk To get to Cotehele from Plymouth, take A38 northwest and then A388, turning east on A390 and south at Harrowbarrow (see the Cornwall map on p 297)

A few miles west of Fowey, overlooking St Austell Bay, you come to a major tourist attraction called Eden Project (% 01726/811-911; wwwedenprojectcom), which opened in March 2001 The Eden Project

is both an educational resource and an environmental showcase The site comprises two gigantic geodesic conservatories, one devoted to the rainforest, and the other to the fruits and flowers of the Mediterranean, South Africa, and California Sunflowers, lavender, and hemp are among the plants that grow outside, on the acres of landscaped grounds The project grows plants from all sorts of different terrains in microhabitats Eden Project is intriguing and definitely worth a couple of hours A trip here is a fun way to introduce kids to plants and environmental issues Admission is 14 ($28) for adults, 10 ($20) for seniors, 5 ($10) for children 5 to 15, and 35 ($70) for families (2 adults, 3 children) The attraction is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm (July Aug until 9:30 pm; Nov Mar until 4:30 pm) St Austell is the nearest town The Eden Project is signposted from A390, A30, and A391 (see the Cornwall map on p 297)

Set in a beautiful landscape overlooking the valley of the Fowey River, Lanhydrock (Lan-hi-druck) is one of the grandest homes in Cornwall The magnificent Long Gallery, with its 17th-century plaster ceiling depicting scenes from the Old Testament, is one of the few rooms that survived a disastrous fire in 1881 You can view approximately 50 rooms that reflect the organization and lifestyles in a rich Victorian household that depended on servants to keep it running efficiently Lanhydrock reveals the other side of grand living: the kitchens, sculleries, and larders where the staff toiled And that s part of what makes this place so fascinating

The spots associated with King Arthur are legion, but none are quite so dramatic as the ruins of Tintagel Castle (% 01840/770-328; wwwenglish-heritageorg uk), on Cornwall s rocky, windswept north coast (see Cornwall map on p 297) A stronghold of the Earls of Cornwall, the castle was built in the 13th century on the site of a sixth-century Celtic monastery, right on the edge of a cliff, with the Atlantic thundering below Though it s now in ruins, Tintagel Castle has long been associated with romantic stories of King Arthur Some say he was born here, which is perhaps true if you regard Arthur as a legend English Heritage maintains the cliffside castle ruins, which require some steep stair-climbing if you want to fully explore them The surrounding area is rich in flora and fauna and provides a breeding ground for sea birds, lizards and butterflies Admission is 450 ($9) for adults, 340 ($675) for seniors and students, and 230 ($450) children The site is open daily (except Dec 24 26 and Jan 1) from 10 am to 6 pm (Oct until 5 pm, Nov late Mar until 4 pm) Tintagel is hard to reach unless you have a car From Exeter, head across Cornwall on the A30, continuing west at the junction with the A395 From this highway, various signposted secondary roads lead to Tintagel If you re exploring this part of the West Country, you may want to visit Clovelly on Devon s north coast, about 90 minutes away by car (see Up-along/Down-along: Clovelly on Devon s North Coast in 17)