Three must-see National Trust properties in Cornwall
The National Trust owns an extensive portfolio of properties in Cornwall; my wife and I recently visited three of them and certainly recommend a visit.
The first is Antony, situated on the south bank of the Lynher River, to the west of Plymouth. The house was built in the early 18th Century for Sir William Carew; his ancestor Sir John Carew Pole gifted it to the Trust over 50 years ago, on the basis that his family could continue to live there. As such, it is on a more human scale and less like a museum than some properties.
The gardens were the highlight for us: formal gardens with high hedges contrasted with extensive parkland that offered distant views of the river. Thanks to the art of topiary, there was also a tree cut into the shape of a cone, with a bench in the centre: suitably sentimental.
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The gardens at Trelissick, cling to the west bank of the Truro River. Blue hydrangeas and crocosmia were in bloom when we visited but rhododendrons and camelias probably make a spectacular show earlier in the summer. The National Trust is hoping to take over the house in due course; on the day we visited, the porcelain collection was being auctioned – a forebear of the current owner had been a Director of Spode Pottery. We followed up our visit by crossing the river on the King Harry chain ferry – £5 per car – and a leisurely drive up the Roseland Peninsula.
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Lanhydrock, near Bodmin, was once the home of the Robartes family, passing into Trust ownership 60 years ago. The house was built in the early 17th Century and rebuilt in the late 19th Century in the wake of a major fire, hence the dominant architectural style is probably best described as Victorian gothic. Surrounded by nearly 900 acres of grounds, it enjoys sweeping views along the River Fowey valley. Being one of the Trust’s larger properties, it gets very busy and is probably best visited out of season; thanks to the Downton Abbey effect, many visitors seemed more interested in below stairs than the public areas above. The landscaped gardens above the house are, however, a good place to escape the crowds.
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Our base for this short break was St. Benet’s Abbey, a hotel that we would recommend.