Glendurgan Garden: A Local's Guide

Just outside Falmouth and the village of Mawnan Smith sits one of the National Trust's most rewarding gardens. Glendurgan runs down a long wooded valley to the Helford River, and it's that valley terrain that makes the place feel different to almost any garden in the UK. You're surrounded on every side by dense planting, an unusual mix of exotic and native species, and a sense of being in the bottom of a green world.

When to visit

Glendurgan rewards you whatever the season, but if you only get one trip, make it spring. From March through May the valley fills with magnolias, bluebells and primroses, the heady smell of camellia and rhododendron, and the thrum of bees as everything comes back to life.

Summer brings what the Glendurgan archive describes as "breaks in a wave of whiteness, with eucryphia, hoheria, myrtus and that 'bombe Alaska' of rhododendrons, 'Polar Bear'." Autumn is bulb season: amaryllis, colchicum, crinum and nerine. Winter strips the colour and reveals the bones, the huge old trees that go unnoticed at other points in the year suddenly stand on their own.

The maze, the Giant's Stride, and the Durgan adventure

Glendurgan has been in the Fox family for over 200 years, and over those generations they entertained a lot of children, which is partly why they built a cherry-laurel maze in the middle of the garden. The maze is a guaranteed hit with under-tens. Our three-year-old asks to go back every visit. Older kids and adults will gravitate to the Giant's Stride, the garden's rotating rope swing in the upper garden, a test of arm strength and stomach in equal measure.

Durgan: the village at the bottom

At the foot of Glendurgan's valley, the National Trust-owned hamlet of Durgan sits on the water's edge next to a small beach on the Helford River. The village is a picture-postcard image of Cornwall, the kind of spot that turns up in Daphne du Maurier's Frenchman's Creek and barely changes. You'll also pass through Durgan if you're doing the Helford Passage walk, which combines the garden with a longer riverside ramble.

Practical tips

• Park at the National Trust car park at the top of the garden. Spaces fill on summer weekends, arrive early or after lunch.
• Allow 2 to 3 hours at minimum. The valley is steeper than it looks and you'll want to linger.
• Wear sturdy shoes. The valley paths are steep and can be muddy after rain.
• Combine with Trebah if you're a serious garden visitor. Glendurgan and Trebah are next-door neighbours on the Helford and complement each other.
• Time it for low tide if you want to swim or paddle at Durgan beach.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Glendurgan Garden?

Glendurgan Garden is just outside the village of Mawnan Smith, around 15 minutes' drive from Falmouth. The garden runs down a steep wooded valley to the hamlet of Durgan on the Helford River. National Trust postcode: TR11 5JZ.

When is the best time to visit Glendurgan Garden?

Spring (March to May) is when Glendurgan is at its most spectacular. Magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons, bluebells and primroses all peak across that window. Summer brings white-flowered eucryphia, hoheria and myrtle. Autumn is bulb season (amaryllis, colchicum, crinum, nerine). Winter strips the colour and reveals the structure of the valley's huge old trees.

How long does it take to visit Glendurgan?

Allow at least 2 to 3 hours. The valley is steep and there's a lot to see between the top of the garden, the maze, the Giant's Stride rope swing, and the descent to Durgan beach at the bottom. Allow longer if you want to combine with a walk or a swim in the Helford.

Is Glendurgan Garden good for kids?

Yes, very. The cherry-laurel maze is a regular childhood-memory-maker. There's also the Giant's Stride, a rotating rope swing in the upper garden, plus a learning hut for younger children and Durgan beach at the bottom for paddling. Pushchairs are not recommended on the steeper paths, the valley is genuinely steep.

Is Glendurgan or Trebah the better garden?

Both are beautiful sub-tropical valley gardens running down to the Helford, and both are within minutes of each other. Trebah is larger and known for its hydrangeas and the long path to Polgwidden Cove. Glendurgan has the maze, the Giant's Stride rope swing, the village of Durgan at the bottom, and (some say) the slightly wilder, more adventurous feel. If you have to choose, choose by the kids you've got with you.

Is Glendurgan dog friendly?

Dogs are welcome on a short lead in much of the garden, with some restrictions during ground-nesting bird season. Check the National Trust signage on arrival. The valley paths are dog-walking gold. The cafe is dog-friendly.

Can you walk to Glendurgan from Falmouth?

Yes, but it's a serious walk: about 6 miles each way along the South West Coast Path via Maenporth, Rosemullion and Mawnan. Most visitors drive (15 minutes) or come as part of a longer Helford Passage walk.

Pair the visit with a walk

If you've got time, pair Glendurgan with the Helford Passage walk which loops down to Durgan and across the river, or with our guide to the best South West Coast Path walks in Cornwall for the wider context.

For Glendurgan in its peak bluebell season and the wider Cornish microclimate-gardens picture, see spring in Cornwall. For the cottage-base couples' weekend that includes Glendurgan as a half-day stop, see Cornwall for couples.