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A historic and exotic wooded valley garden leading down to the Helford River.
Mawnan Smith, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 5JZ
Asset | Opening time |
---|---|
Garden | Closed |
Car Park | Closed |
Tea-house | Closed |
Second-hand bookshop | Closed |
Last entry into the garden is 16:00pm Last orders in the tea-house is 16:30pm
Ticket type | Gift aid | Standard |
---|---|---|
Adult | £13.20 | £12.00 |
Child | £6.60 | £6.00 |
Family | £33.00 | £30.00 |
1 adult | £19.80 | £18.00 |
Group Adult | £11.40 | |
Group Child | £5.70 |
We have a second-hand bookshop.
Steep slopes with steps, cobbled sections and loose gravel. Please note, the maze has steps.
Purple route is step free with some steep sections.
We have one Tramper available to hire through Countryside Mobility. Please call ahead to book or email glendurgan@nationaltrust.org.uk
Benches are scattered throughout the garden.
Available at visitor reception.
From Truro/East Take the A39 to Falmouth as far as junction with A394 at Treliever Cross Roundabout, and then follow brown and white tourism signs to Glendurgan Garden. From Helston/West Take the A394 to Falmouth as far as junction with A39 at Treliever Cross Roundabout. Turn right and follow brown and white tourism signs to Glendurgan Garden. Please note if using Sat nav from Helston it may take you on scenic back roads via Gweek, Constantine and Port Navas. These roads are very narrow so check the settings on your sat nav if you’d like to avoid this type of driving.
Parking: Our car park will be locked at 5pm every day. All-day parking is £4 per vehicle or £2 for two hours. Parking free for National Trust members.
Sat Nav: Sat nav postcode TR11 5JZ. If follwing sat nav directions please use the National Trust main entrance, not the entrance to the private house.
Take the Southwest coastal footpath from Falmouth (starting at the seafront at Gyllyngvase beach) to Durgan village. You can enter the bottom of the garden from the village. Total Distance 5.9 miles (9.5 kilometres). Time: 2 hours 30 minutes approximately.
The nearest stations are Penmere and Falmouth Town on the Maritime Branch Line from Truro. Trains run every 30 minutes on weekdays, the journey from Truro taking about 20 minutes. Buses 35 and 63 run from Falmouth Moor to Glendurgan Garden. Together, the bus routes provide an hourly service Monday to Saturday, with some variations to the timetable on school days. Sorry, no buses on Sundays or Bank Holidays. Buses stop at Glendurgan Garden's entrance.
Buses 35 and 63 run from Falmouth Moor to Glendurgan Garden. Together, the bus routes provide an hourly service Monday to Saturday, with some variations to the timetable on school days. Sorry, no buses on Sundays or Bank Holidays. Buses stop at Glendurgan Garden's entrance. The bus service is operated by OTS as part of the Go Cornwall Transport for Cornwall Network.
Glendurgan is 1/2 mile south-west of Mawnan Smith, on the road to Helford Passage and is about a 10 mile diversion from the nearest point on Sustrans National Cycling Route '3'.
There are no ferry services from Falmouth to Glendurgan. Access is possible from the Lizard Peninsula by the summer only passenger ferry that links Helford Village and Helford Passage. Follow the South West Coast Path from Helford Passage to Durgan village. You can enter the bottom of the garden from the village. Total Distance: 0.8 miles (1.3 kms). Walking time: 20 minutes.
Find out more about all the events we have planned this season at Glendurgan.
Find out more about walking your dog around Glendurgan and the North Helford countryside, where waymarked walks take in woodland, the South West Coast Path, secluded stony paths and dog-friendly beaches.
If you’re planning a group visit to Glendurgan Garden, here’s everything you need to know to organise your visit.
Visitors to Glendurgan Garden can hire an all-terrain tramper vehicle. They’re available through a partnership with Countryside Mobility.
Glendurgan Garden is now closed for winter. We look forward to welcoming you back 15 February 2025.
A beautiful, distinctive and intriguing collection of horticultural specimens interspersed with wildflower meadows.
The cherry laurel maze is based on a design taken from the Sydney Gardens in Bath by Alfred Fox and planted in 1833.
A small pebbly sheltered beach on the banks of the Helford River connected to the South West Coast Path.
With many children to entertain the Fox family installed a simple yet enjoyable rotating rope swing.
This is a recreation of the first school opened by Alfred and Sarah Fox in 1829 and where, for more than 15 years, local children including some of the couple’s 12 sons and daughters attended lessons.
Tucked away en route to the school room sits the Olive Grove and Glendurgan’s little-known apple orchard and Apple Shed, full of nature-based activities.
Glendurgan Garden is now closed for winter. We look forward to welcoming you back 15 February 2025.
Discover what family-friendly activities are on offer at Glendurgan Garden, from getting lost in the maze to sketching in the orchard.
Find out where to eat at Glendurgan and shop for second-hand books
After exploring the garden, take a well-earned break at the Glendurgan Tea-House, tuck into an ice cream at the Durgan Fish Cellar, or find a good book at the Second-hand Bookshop.
A timber-built thatched cottage nestling amongst the trees with views over the Helford River.
Victorian school turned beachside retreat, full of original features and sea-view windows.
Just metres from the water’s edge, you’ll be guaranteed a room with a view in this stone cottage.
A traditional stone cottage just a few metres from the shores of the Helford Estuary.
The west wing of a large country house, with views across the Helford River.
Part of a large country house, brimming with original features and views over the Helford River.
Stay in the east wing of this country house for views over the Helford River and fine interiors.
A tiny but well-equipped cottage nestling in a large country estate, above the Helford River.
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
Glendurgan Garden was described by its creators, the Quakers Alfred and Sarah Fox, as a 'small peace [sic] of heaven on earth'.
There are three valleys of Glendurgan to lose yourself in - full of amazing plants. Sun-loving specimens enjoy the upper banks, and plants with big leaves and exotic flowers thrive in the subtropical lower valley. In Spring, an abundance of wildflowers fill the sloping sides of the valley.
Wandering through the garden leads you down to the unspoilt hamlet of Durgan on the Helford River.
Walking up from Durgan you can find a boat seat, a gigantic tulip tree and ponds teeming with wildlife. You can also learn about the Fox family who created this valley of adventure.
The maze has been foxing people for nearly 200 years. Who will be first to reach the middle of the living puzzle?
Keep up to date with what's going on at Glendurgan on our Facebook page or read previous visitors' reviews on TripAdvisor.
There’s a variety of volunteer roles at Glendurgan Garden, from gardening to helping in the Fish Cellar and assisting with family-friendly events. Find a volunteer role that’s right for you.
Family fun has been at centre of Glendurgan since the 1820s when it was created by the Fox family, who developed an exotic garden and a mighty hedge maze for their 12 children to explore.
Discover what conservation work the garden team are taking to protect and preserve Glendurgan Garden in Cornwall.
We need your help to raise £1,500 to buy over 5,000 snowdrop and crocus bulbs. These will help to improve our meadows for early spring colour.
£50 could purchase 165 bulbs.
Join today and help protect nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever. Enjoy access to more than 500 places with National Trust membership.