Heligan by Night, a magical walk through the Lost Gardens

I always look forward to a pre-Christmas evening visit to Heligan to see the gardens transform with carefully placed lighting into an unexpected fairy tale landscape of shapes and colours. I must admit that this year I was more excited than ever because I was actually going OUT!

Normally I pop into Heligan three or four times a year to see the gardens change seasons, but this 2020, year of COVID-19 has meant 2 forced closures with lockdowns and a pre-booked ticket entry so no visits from me! In fact apart from an early or late food shopping visit I have been nowhere except walking in wide open spaces and work.

Pat and her family visiting Heligan by night

So this year’s visit satisfied a long list of requirements- it was being managed in a responsible and safe way with social distancing measures in place, timed appointments and reduced numbers of visitors to avoid congestion.

We were able to meet with our family bubble of 6 people outside and even managed mulled cider and hot chocolate takeaways to keep us warm as we wandered along the carefully marked lantern trail.

This year the organisers have worked together with the Lantern Company, a leading UK Arts Company specialising in spectacular illuminated installations.

Lantern badgers at the Lost Gardens of Heligan

The whole family was enchanted by the tableaux of the wonderful wildlife who live in the gardens, we were treated to foxes, badgers, frogs, robins, squirrels and hedgehogs, all carefully placed in the areas they are known to inhabit.

Frog lanterns at the Lost Gardens of Heligan

We also loved the carefully placed braziers to warm yourself by or toast a marshmallow or chestnut if you felt so inclined. The whole walk takes about an hour but you can pace yourself or even go round twice if you feel so inclined!

Lantern flowers at the Lost Gardens of Heligan

Our visit was truly magical, made even more special by being made to feel welcome and behave normally outside without having to wear masks. Hallelujah……….

With thanks to Charlie Smith for this lovely photo of the lantern robin below and the lantern mouse at the top of the page:

Well done Team Heligan. The tours run until 3rd January and you can purchase tickets at this link:

https://shop.myonlinebooking.co.uk/lostgardensofheligan/sessions.aspx?tid=30

Enjoy a break in Cornwall

If you would like to enjoy a break in Cornwall, there are lots of things to do throughout the year. We’ve got a range of cottages which sleep 4-12 people and we’ve won many awards because we are passionate about sustainability – find out more and check availability.

Have you discovered any days out or experiences that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you on our Facebook page, Instagram or tweet @ActionNan

01726 72128

Email Us

Trelowth, St Austell, Cornwall PL26 7DT

Heligan by Night, a magical walk through the Lost Gardens

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

View posts by topic

Pick a Category

Bosinver Newsletter

Join our followers

Join our followers

Recent Reviews

Useful Info...

Booking Info...

Bosinver Breaks