Cotehele, Cornwall
This is the sort of place that, once you’ve discovered it, you want to keep going back to time and time again. And in December there’s a special reason to go.
The absolutely stunning Christmas garland in the Great Hall
90 feet in length
40,000 blooms
Each and every one of them grown, picked and dried on the Cotehele estate.
Ten varieties in all.
Cotehele is a beautiful place, now in the care of the National Trust.
It is claimed to be one of the least altered Tudor houses in the United Kingdom. Possibly dating as far back as 1300, the main building work was likely carried out between 1485 and 1520. It sits in glorious gardens perched high on a hill above the River Tamar.
Check opening times if you are down this way and plan to visit. Some parts of the house are closed until March.
Could be Spring already..?
Mike said he’d like to have lived there.
I’d have to agree.
Provided I could travel back through time and take with me a decent central heating boiler, an induction hob and Wi-Fi.
We wandered down to the Quay for lunch..
And then took a stroll along the river.
If only every winter’s day could be like this.
Wow….that’s what I call a garland!!! I’d like to have lived there too, xxx
It is pretty impressive. Maybe I’ll try one next year… just one or two fewer blooms!
Wow. Thanks for taking us with you.
It was a pleasure Jill.
What a stunning garland – I love it – thank you for showing it to us.
I agree that winter would be so much better if every day was sunny and calm, but because they aren’t, I think that we appreciate a good day even more.
It was really lovely yesterday. There was even someone sitting outside at the tea shop. That might have been a bit brave, but walking around the garden in the sunshine it felt almost warm.
No wonder I am in love with the English Countryside♥
This is truly a magical place….
One can only imagine the goings on within these walls…for all these years…
I don’t think I have ever seen such a beautiful garland as this….
What a splendid outing for you and Mike….
What…pray tell….did you have for lunch???
Thanks for the tour♥
Cheers!
Linda :o)
It was a great day.
I almost always eat vegetarian when out and about (because I can), so opted for a cheese and caramelised onion tart. And then indulged in Garland Pudding, a spicy sponge cake, with oodles of toffee sauce…
Be still my beating heart♥
I’m sure my trousers are tighter today..
Absolutely fantastic Jessica – is this a wedding venue? I’d fancy a December date there!
Having done a bit more research, it seems that they do host wedding ceremonies at Cotehele but in the separate restaurant not in the main house. It would still make a lovely backdrop for photographs though.
Wow, that is a stunning piece of flower arrangement. I love your list of time travelling essentials too 🙂
Time travelling essentials must be destination specific, of course, but I could imagine that old house would be a bit draughty!
The garland is fabulous. I really enjoyed visiting Cotehele a few years ago, seeing the house and the mill and the quay. And it’s in such a beautiful place on the river. I went in spring, but from your lovely photos it definitely looks worth a visit at this time of year.
It is definitely worth visiting if you are down this way and, as you can see from one of the photos, we were far from alone. Difficult to take photographs with so many people around. The gardens in Spring must have been wonderful, we will return!
Has this been on TV where they featured the garland as it seems to ring a bell – definitely a cut above the average Christmas garland.
I did hear someone in the throng talking about a TV programme, and remarking on the number of people there. I’m sure you’re right.
Stunning garland, we have been there a couple of times, but not at this time of year, you certainly made the most of a super December day. I spy lots of Iris unguicularis under the windoe, they look fantastic!
Thanks for letting me know the name of the Iris Pauline, they are a must have, my garden is somewhat bereft of colour right now.
That garland is glorious:-)
It certainly is. The depth of colour retained in the dried flowers was amazing.
What a beautiful house, and what a stunning garland! Another place to put on my to-visit list. Lovely to see a light, bright day …… we have needed lights on all day here!
Same here, it was getting dark by 3.30. Yesterday though, when the pictures were taken, was a different day entirely.
Oh wow, what an undertaking to make a garland that huge. That looks like a fantastic place to visit.
It must have taken ages. I notice from a leaflet we were given that you can go and watch them building it. One for next year I think.
Fantastic old building, they built them to last in those days. I often wonder how they got some of the big stones up there without all the modern machinery we have now.
It looks in a lot better nick than buildings we have visited that are much younger. Ropes, pulleys and a lot of local muscle may be?
Yes please. I’d like to live there too 🙂
I was going to say I could imagine myself swishing about all day in a long frock. But then when I came to think about it further, it didn’t seem to work!
Such wonderful place in a magnificent setting and WOW! That wreath!!!! Never seen anything like it! That is worth a visit!
Marian
I had read about the garland and seen pictures of it before. But nothing is like the experience of seeing it. It is quite spectacular.
Cotehele is my favourite place!! I could quite happily live there too!! I saw a similar amazing Christmas garland some years ago, it was stunning. Was the fire alight in the hall? You have quite made my day! Thank you!!
Of all the NT places we have visited, quite a few now, Cotehele is my favourite. The intimate scale of it makes it a place you can imagine living in and the gardens are just so lovely. We’ll be back in Spring.
The fire was alight! I’m glad I brought back good memories x
The garland is truly impressive! x
The flowers looked like they were still blooming on the plants Simone, so vibrant!
Ohhh, that’s just beautiful. I’ve seen that on tv too, some years ago. A work of art and a labour of love I think.
Pats.x.
I’ve been meaning to see it for several years. Now that it’s no distance away it had to be done.
Imagine finding the right place for 40,000 blooms. Not sure I’d have the patience..
How wonderful! We visited Cotehele house, mill and quay a couple of years ago, the day after we’d visited Morwellham quay across the Tamar, and I just loved the whole place, in fact the whole area around there. The garland is magnificent and such a good idea to use all the dried flowers, it must have look amazing:)
It’s difficult to capture the scale of it in a photograph, but as you’ve been there you’ll know how big the Great Hall is. It is truly spectacular.
I love these pictures. I think you have just managed to get me to add this to my bucket list! cant wait to go
Thanks Sol. I love buildings of this era and this is a great example. I hope you enjoy it!
Wow that garland is amazing-I would love to have been part of the team making it. Beautiful images from a beautiful place. Many thanks for sharing.
It’s a pleasure Suzie. We are lucky to live in a very beautiful part of the world. The garland is on show until the end of the month if you want to go.
Oh my stars, that garland … and I am too far away too come and see it for myself 🙁
Stunning isn’t it. I couldn’t help noticing that the wisteria pruner may have come from Wales..
It looks absolutely beautiful. Such fantastic photos. I’d quite like to live there now, it would be wonderful. I love the ancient stone with the greenery against it.
It’s the stone mullioned windows that I love. I’ve always wanted to have one!
That looks like a really interesting property and that is an impressive garland.
The house tour (main NT opening season) is quite fascinating too, you really could imagine what it must have been like all those years ago.
It is beautiful Jessica and you photographed it really well. Do they keep it up into the new year, or is it just for Christmas do you know? I would love to see this one day. Thank you for showing it to us. xx
I believe it’s on display until the end of the month, then the whole house closes up until March. Mike’s photographs, and they took some persistence given the crowds!
Simply breathtaking.
What a spectacular garland, fitting for a house of it’s stature
My parents’ friends were caretakers of a Tudor manor house built in the sixteenth century, I spent my summer holidays there, and will never forget the stepping back in time feeling inside that grand home.
~Jo
It really does give you that feeling, and how wonderful to have free run of such a special building. Our previous home was very old, built of oak and wattle and daub. It had a wonderful atmosphere that I miss.
Wow, what a beautiful place. Thanks so much for taking me there on your lovely winter’s day! Blessings, Natalie 🙂
We were so lucky with the weather. The last two days we’ve been back to typical English winter gloom!
looks and sounds lovely Jessica, I agree re taking the 21st century gadgets back in time and I’d add my vacuum cleaner and washing machine, though those castle type places could be very drafty! I also agree re every winter day be so nice, looks almost idyllic, Frances
Not so many people ventured down to the Quay and it did feel quite idyllic down by the river. Not as idyllic as the western isles though.. on a good day!
and dare I say at the moment it’s a good day, the clouds even parted for the sun for just over an hour, darkness is starting to wrap her cloak across us now, 😉
I had meant to say in my reply to your comment on my blog, I remember you had mice in your tatties, I don’t know how that can be dealt with, I have had them in the side porch for over a month as it’s built on the outside of the house I thought the house was safe ….. wrong! last week I heard them between the walls, glad they didn’t find my veggies but want them out of the house, Frances
There is something in the roof space above my study. I thought it was mice. But either they are very well fed mice or something else, lately the footfalls have been getting heavier. Maybe a squirrel? Just as long as it isn’t rats.. Rodents are the price we pay for living out in the wilds I suppose.
I remember seeing this on (something like) Gardeners World one year. That garland is quite stupendous :}
It’s difficult to capture quite how stupendous in a photograph. The flowers didn’t look dried at all. A brief glimpse of summer past.
Now then, there’s an idea for decorating the halls, no? Might have to be made of paper though, I fear.
Yes, indeed! I am inspired though.. grow the right sort of flowers next year and get the knack of drying them to preserve the colours. My garland may be somewhat smaller.
Lovely, lovely, lovely – I seem to remember seeing a t.v. programme about this place and the decorations – the dedication needed to create that garland is mind-blowing.
Just growing that number of flowers in the first place is enough of a task. They apparently dry them in bunches of 20, which makes counting easier!
That garland is staggering. I wonder how long it took to make. I’d like to have lived there but agree about your caveats!
It takes about two weeks apparently. They put up a great swag of greenery then poke all the flowers into it in situ. Next year I thought I’d go along and see..
Isnt that garland fabulous? It makes our six feet long plain fir garlands looks soooo boring. I wonder if I can scale this idea down to something more manageable. Better start looking at the seed catalogue.
I had the same thought. Especially as I have lots of gaps to fill up on the bank that could be producing flowers suitable for drying. The trouble with our cottage is the ceilings are so low. Perhaps a garland along the inglenook beam, if I can find a way to support it.
The garland is absolutely stunning. It must take ages to put it all together. It looks like a beautiful place to visit.
About two weeks apparently, but a whole season of growing to get the raw materials!
Cotehele is a wonderful place.I love the Iris unguicularis all in flower. What a wonderful sight. That garland is quite impressive. I wouldn’t have liked the job of making it though.
Chloris
It would test my patience too, on that scale, but what a result. Must plant some of that Iris, great splash of colour for this time of year.
Gorgeous house and gorgeous flowers…I could so live here:-)
You and me both! It’s a lovely place.
The garland is stunning and it must be wonderful to see it for real. Cotehele is on our list of places to visit we must.make it happen next year! Thank you for taking us with you.
Sarah x
Sarah, if you get a chance do go. The gardens are so lovely too.
Oh my God, that is just SPECTACULAR!!!! I love Cornwall but haven’t been since 1988. Time to go back. I live near a considerably less attractive Cornwall, here in Ontario. It does have waterfront, though. But no amazing garlands!!!
Definitely time to come back!
What a stunning place, I hope you are going to do more posts about it at other times of year?! The garland is jaw-droppingly wonderful, it must take hours to make, and many, many people. I wonder if they sometimes wish they could take a year off, just put some tinsel up? Lovely idea though, if I ever get a cutting gardenette up and running and atually allow myself to, well, cut, I might just have to try drying some flowers and doing a very mini garland.
If it were my project I think I’d be tempted to take a photo of the Great Hall, with a string of tinsel tied up, just to pull someone’s leg.. But the garland is glorious and well worth seeing. We first went to Cotehele on a very rainy summer’s day a couple of years ago and will definitely be back again in Spring.
This post makes me realise that it’s too long since I was in Cornwall, a county that I love. That really does look like a perfect winter’s day! Extraordinary garland – is it made to celebrate Christmas? It looks almost like a huge (but very beautiful) Chinese serpent! I think I’ll stick to making little wreaths for my front door!!
It is put up for December every year, so I guess so. We were so lucky with the weather that day, it is blowing a gale outside now!
Totally delightful.
It was good to have a day out too. Don’t do it enough.
Jaw-dropping indeed, Jessica 🙂
Quite spectacular.
My granny used to take me to Cotehele, when they were still farming near Liskeard. (Although by the time I knew them there were other farmers’ cows grazing their fields, and my grandparents grew fruits and vegetables for themselves only, and foliage for florists).
You’re right about wanting to go back again and again. Thank you for letting me visit vicariously!
I wonder how much it’s changed in the intervening years. The house probably not at all. It feels timeless.
Wow! Now I wonder how long that took to make and put up. Must be a military operation to hang. We visited Cothele a few years ago Jessica and your photos have bought back some happy memories:)
About two weeks apparently, but much more than that in the run up no doubt. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. I will take more of the gardens next year.