the classic guide

A guide to the West Country from the people that know…

Trebah Garden

There's sub-tropical lushness around every corner at this stunning garden on the banks of the Helford River. The views from the 18th Century house across the garden to the river are not to be missed. Wend your way through camellia groves and chusan palms, woodlands and bamboo; meander alongside pools and streams, giant-leafed gunnera and hydrangeas, to emerge onto Trebah's private beach. Perfect for a swim and a picnic in summer. Not picnic weather? Head to the award-winning Trebah Kitchen or have a browse in the gift shop and plant centre. One of Cornwall's, if not England's, finest gardens.

Trebah Garden
Mawnan Smith
FALMOUTH
Cornwall
TR11 5JZ

Telephone

01326 252200

4 Stars

Oct 2023

Colour

Visited in late September which meant Autumn colours hadn't kicked in but summer colour in the main gardens had gone over apart from the hydrangeas. Beautiful colour though in the court garden.
Lovely walk down to the beach where we enjoyed an ice cream looking out to sea.

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5 Stars

Sep 2023

Mrs Wolfson

A privately owned stunning garden. There is now a footpath for wheelchairs right down to the beach. Interesting history as American troops embarked from there for the D day landings.

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5 Stars

Mar 2023

Exotic dog friendly garden

Trebah is a wonderful exotic lush estate in a sheltered valley leading to a delightful small beach, where the water is crystal clear and blue. Paths cross cross the valley making it easy to view the gardens from different angles. Marvellous variety of plants and trees. It's dog friendly, as also is the cafe, which is light and airy, serving tasty food. In Feb 2023, a new walled garden was being constructed, which looks most attractive.

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5 Stars

Aug 2022

Stunning

Gorgeous gardens with tall trees, amazing bamboo and hydrangeas and it’s own beach on the Helford river! Dog friendly, lots of different paths and routes and lovely ice cream on the beach! If it’s a lovely day take your swimming stuff, the beach was akin to a Greek beach, yachts and dinghy’s and clear water! Take your beach shoes!!

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5 Stars

Aug 2022

Wonderful garden

This beautiful garden is a must-see.

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5 Stars

Jun 2022

Just wonderful

See above

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5 Stars

Apr 2022

Lovely day out

We had a lovely day at Trebah in March. There were lots of colourful Spring plants including all the rhododendrons, camelias and magnolias, and a sea of fascinating gunneras that were starting to come out. When they are fully grown, the leaves can reach 2.5m across and there is a gunnera passage where you could walk underneath them. There’s also some giant bamboo and many interesting paths up and and down to the beach. We had a lovely lunch in the cafe and all in all, a great day out. Check the website and make sure you book in advance as they were only accepting pre-booked visitors. Also check the cafe closing time on the beach (ice creams etc) as it closed at 3pm when we were there.

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5 Stars

Mar 2022

Wonderful exotic gardens

We visited in February and were surprised by how warm and mild the atmosphere was in the gardens. What a wonderful variety of plants, shrubs and trees! well laid out paths allow the visitor to wander around the grounds to access different view points. The beach at the bottom of the valley was a lovely surprise. We particularly liked the water feature cascading down the valley.
Excellent cafe in a delightful light and airy modern building. The entry fee is reasonable and good value for money.

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4 Stars

Sep 2021

An enjoyable afternoon out

Thoroughly enjoyed our time at Trebah, September was a good time to visit as the hydrangeas were flowering beautifully. The beach was lovely as was the delicious ice cream!

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1 Stars

Sep 2020

A disabled persons opinion

I was really looking forward to visiting Trebah but was really disappointed, I was only able to go out of the reception building in my wheelchair when I was faced with the most sever decline and was told that it was like that all the way. It was very unsafe for me to go any further, so had to turn round and go out of the gardens

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5 Stars

Aug 2020

Beautiful gardens and beach

Well worth a visit. Really incredibly, calming gardens with excellent covid measures in place to feel safe. The private beach is just lovely, worth the short queue to get in (controlled by a traffic light system to ensure not too many people are on it are time). Nice cafe with gluten free options. A very good day out, would highly recommend.

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5 Stars

May 2020

Best gardens to visit in the area

If you like to visit gardens then this is one of the very best in the area. We prefer it to the nearby Glendurgan gardens, though Glendurgan is run by the National Trust so you can get in for free if you are a member.

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5 Stars

Nov 2019

LES CALDER

Excellent lovely gardens which as NT members (although Trebah is privately owned)
out of high season, can be viewed for very reasonable cost.
Best more natural gardens in the area in my view.

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5 Stars

Sep 2019

Wonderful Gardens leading down to a lovely beach.

These gardens are truly fascinating and beautiful. We loved that the dog was welcome even in the cafe and the food and drink were all really good, healthy, well prepared and delicious.

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5 Stars

Sep 2019

Impressive gardens and picturesque beach

Beautiful gardens. Very pleasant staff and good food. The private beach was very picturesque. Would recommend.

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5 Stars

Sep 2015

You won't be disappointed

What a wonderful place to lose yourself in nature discovering plants I had never seen before and some looked like they stepped out of Jurassic Park! We stayed into the evening for a fantastic Miracle Theatre production in the Amphitheatre called The Magnificent Three which was absolutely brilliant, great story, great cast and highly recommended, I will be looking out for their next production. Overall a very pleasing day with ice cream on the beach too, what more could you want!

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5 Stars

Jul 2014

A mini paradise

This was such a wonderful find. A complete tropical paradise hidden away down the creek. You really feel like you have disappeared to a magical world here and it's a great place to escape. Beautiful water gardens and walks through the woods, which eventually lead down to a private secluded beach. Would happily come here time and again. Lovely cafe as well and there's also a cafe on the beach.

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4 Stars

Jul 2014

Nice family day out

We visited the gardens on Father's Day (three generations of us!) and it was a lovely day out. It was interesting seeing all the exotic plants and following the path through the gardens to the private beach at the end where an ice cream sat on the beach is a must! The adventure play areas within the gardens were great for the kids.

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5 Stars

Jun 2014

We hadn't heard about Trebah before we arrived but it proved to be a fabulous day out and the gardens were very special. Better than Eden in some ways and the weather on the day was perfect.
The walk down to the bay was superb. Also enjoyed the shop, cafe and garden centre.

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5 Stars

May 2013

We have been to Trebah several times in the past, but the garden was at it's loveliest this time, with loads of spring flowers as well as the rhododendrons etc.

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4 Stars

Dec 2012

I love trebah

Trebah is a brilliant day out, and the beach is gorgeous!!

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5 Stars

Sep 2012

Trebah Garden

A really delightful garden with much to see. Although steep in places, there are plenty of benches to rest before venturing further.

The glimpse of the sea as you wend your way through the garden is really beautiful and really well worth the trip down to the bottom.

Well worth a visit time and time again.

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5 Stars

Jun 2012

Gets better every time

We love Trebah Gardens, they are also dog friendly, though unfortunately we did see evidence that some dog owners were not respecting the fact that clearing up is a must if this is to continue. We really enjoy walking around the gardens and always spend at least three hours doing so. Always something different to see. Already looking forward to our next visit.

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5 Stars

May 2012

We enjoyed that they are clearly continuing to develop and work on the garden in the 5 years since we last visited. Cafe very good and plenty of sheltered outdoor space. Plenty to see in May and an icecream on the beach was a great treat.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
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5 Stars

May 2012

Trebah Garden

Wonderful garden especially in May when we were there. A beach with a cafe half way round and the ubiquitous crab sandwiches in the cafe near the entrance. We could have spent a whole day here.

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5 Stars

Sep 2011

A great place to visit. Even on a dull day this provided some great views and a fascinating range of plants. The beach was an added bonus. The restaurant provided a good range of dishes, including some gluten free choices.

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5 Stars

Sep 2011

I can only endorse all that has been said before - the gardens are magical and inspirational, with a wonderful collection of hydrangeas as well as a magnificent bamboo thicket. The beach is a dear, with lovely views across the water.

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5 Stars

Sep 2011

I can only endorse all that has been said before - the gardens are magical and inspirational, with a wonderful collection of hydrangeas as well as a magnificent bamboo thicket. The beach is a dear, with lovely views across the water.

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4 Stars

Jul 2011

Worth a visit, even on a wet day. The cream tea in the cafe was so good there is no chance it could ever be matched anywhere else. Enjoyed the shop too. We spent 2 hours in the property although it's not all that large, including time at the cafe. It's advisable to go early when it's really quiet.

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5 Stars

Aug 2008

Suitable for young and old

I would recommend this garden for anyone. The walks around the garden can be taken at any pace and are endlessly fascinating for young children as well as older relatives. Even those who may not be as agile as they once were will be able to manage a good deal of the garden and there are plenty of places to stop, admire the view and rest. The staff are very helpful, always ready to discuss an unusual plant and the cafe is run by a group of very cheerful women, who provide simple but delicious food.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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4 Stars

Aug 2008

A beautiful place, starting with formal gardens at the top, winding down through subtropical exotica to a small beach. We once went there on a winter's day where there was snow at the top of the garden and brilliant sunshine once you went through the doorway onto the beach; my children said it was like going into Narnia!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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4 Stars

Aug 2008

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4 Stars

Jul 2008

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5 Stars

Jul 2008

Walking

Trebah Gardens are excellent for all the family - there is also a beach below for children to explore. Kids can take part in the quiz as they walk around the gardens which makes for a more peaceful time for the parents!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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