Do you have to pay to walk at Trelissick?

No. The woodland and parkland walk is free; you only pay for parking at the National Trust car park, which is free for members. A ticket is only needed if you want to go into the garden itself.

How long is the Trelissick woodland walk?

About three miles as a circular route from the car park, with around 430 ft of climbing. Allow about an hour and a half, longer with a stop at the cafe or the bookshop.

Which way round should you walk at Trelissick?

We walk it anticlockwise, but the loop works well in either direction. Whichever way you go, you pass the parkland view down the Fal, the creeks, the riverbank by the King Harry Ferry and the woods.

Can you visit the Trelissick cafe and bookshop without a garden ticket?

Yes. The cafe and the secondhand bookshop are open to walkers without a garden ticket, so you can finish the walk with a coffee and a browse. The bookshop is one of the best secondhand bookshops in Cornwall.

Is the Trelissick walk muddy?

Parts of the woodland path can be muddy after rain, particularly around the creeks, so wear boots in autumn and winter. There is also a short, steep climb near the end of the loop.

Where does the King Harry Ferry go?

The King Harry Ferry is a chain ferry across the River Fal right beside Trelissick, linking the Truro side of the river with the Roseland. It is the quickest way to St Mawes and St Anthony Head by car.

Is Trelissick good in autumn?

Yes. The woods along the creeks colour up through October, the parkland is quiet, and the path is sheltered from the wind, which makes it a good choice on a blustery day when the coast path is exposed.

How far is Trelissick from Falmouth?

About fifteen minutes' drive from Trewena, on the edge of Falmouth. That makes it an easy morning or afternoon out, and a good first stop on the way over the King Harry Ferry to the Roseland.

The Trelissick Woodland Walk: A Circular Walk Above the Fal

By Rich Abrahams· Runs Trewena Cottages near Falmouth

Published 28 September 2026

A wide woodland path at Trelissick in autumn, sun low through bare trees, fallen copper leaves on the bank and glimpses of the River Fal through the trunks.

Trelissick is best known for its garden, but some of the best of the estate is free to walk. This three-mile loop starts at the National Trust car park and circles the parkland and woods above the River Fal: down to the water, round two quiet creeks, past the King Harry Ferry and back through the trees. You don't need a garden ticket to do it, and the cafe and the secondhand bookshop are open to walkers too.

At a glance

Distance: about 3 miles (4.8 km), circular
Climbing: about 430 ft in total
Time: around 1.5 hours
Start: the National Trust car park at Trelissick (pay and display; free for National Trust members)
Garden ticket: not needed for the walk
Terrain: woodland and parkland paths, muddy after rain; a short steep climb near the end
From Trewena: about 15 minutes by car

The walk

Either way round. The loop works in both directions. We walk it anticlockwise, but it is a matter of taste.

The view from the house. Walk down from the main house towards the water and the view down the Fal and across the Carrick Roads towards Falmouth opens up in front of you. It is a grand view, and it is one of the things we love most about National Trust places: views that were once kept for whoever lived in the big house, now open to anyone who walks down the field. Stand there for a minute and imagine being lord of the manor.

The view from Trelissick's parkland down the River Fal towards Falmouth on a summer day, with sailing boats on the water, wooded banks either side and a golden meadow in the foreground. — The view down the Fal towards Falmouth from the parkland (in summer).

In and out of the woods. The path follows the edge of the woods around two creeks and along the river, ducking in and out of the trees, so you are constantly given little glimpses of the water between the trunks. Herons and egrets pick along the mud at low tide, and there is always something to look at, whatever the season.

The river and the King Harry Ferry. On the Fal side, the path runs along the riverbank past the Trelissick pontoon and the slipway for the King Harry Ferry, the chain ferry that carries traffic across the river to the Roseland.

Back through the woods. The final stretch climbs back through the woodland to the car park, with one short, steep pull near the end.

A golden hillside field dotted with round hay bales, framed by dark green oaks, seen from the long grass of Trelissick's parkland. — Hay bales across the valley at Trelissick in late summer.

The bookshop and the cafe

We love a secondhand bookshop at the best of times, and Trelissick's is one of the best: a big collection of fiction, rare books, and plenty of local history and nature writing. You can use it, and the cafe, without paying for the garden, which makes this a good half-day: walk, then coffee and an hour browsing. If you want to see the garden too, add it on with a ticket or come back another day.

Why it's good in autumn

As everywhere at this time of year, it is the light. There is something about walking through woods in autumn, especially on a dry day with the leaves crackling underfoot, when everything is turning. The woods along the creeks go gold and red through October, and the path is sheltered, so it is a good choice when the wind is up on the coast.

Plan your walk

Autumn walks near Falmouth
The St Anthony Head circular walk, over the King Harry Ferry
The National Trust in Cornwall
Cornwall in autumn for couples

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