Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Further west along the river near Port Navas is the Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm , the
largest shellfish farm in the county. It's now run by the UK's premier oyster merchants,
the Wright Brothers, who also own the nearby Ferryboat Inn ( Click here ) .
The villages and creeks around the Restronguet Estuary are also worth a detour.
Sights
Glendurgan
(NT; 01326-250906; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/glendurgan-garden ; adult/child £6.80/3.50; 10.30am-5.30pm
Tue-Sun, open daily in Jul & Aug) Glendurgan was established by Alfred Fox in the 1820s to
show off the many weird and wonderful plants being brought back from the far corners of
the empire, from Himalayan rhododendrons to Canadian maples and New Zealand tree
ferns. Tumbling down a stunning subtropical valley, the garden offers breathtaking views
of the Helford, as well as a lovely ornamental maze and a secluded beach near Durgan vil-
lage. The gardens are now owned by the National Trust.
GARDENS
Trebah
( 01326-252200; www.trebahgarden.co.uk ; adult/child £8.50/2.50; 10am-4pm) Just west of Glendurgan
is Trebah, planted in 1840 by Charles Fox, Alfred's younger brother. It's less formal, with
gigantic rhododendrons, gunnera and jungle ferns lining the sides of a steep ravine leading
down to the quay and shingle beach.
Charles Fox was a notorious polymath and stickler for detail; the story goes that he
made his head gardener construct a scaffold to indicate the height of each tree, barking out
his orders from an attic window via a megaphone and telescope. At the bottom of the gar-
dens, near the Japanese-style bridge, look out for a plaque commemorating the 7500
troops from the 29th US Infantry Division who set sail for Omaha Beach from the nearby
slipway on D-Day, many of them never to return.
There's a pleasant cafe and souvenir shop beside the ticket office. Half-price admission
is offered if you arrive on the Western Greyhound Bus 500.
GARDENS
Eating
Ferryboat Inn
GASTROPUB ££
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