The Lost Gardens of Heligan: The Story of Tim Smit, Cosmic Coincidence, Restoration, Regeneration and the Real People of the Thunderbox Room

A little chaos can spark a lot of magic

 

It is fitting that Tim Smit, a man who credits his habit of accepting every third invitation he receives as one of the secrets to his success, should have stumbled across Heligan in such a random and haywire fashion. Serendipity is free to play when we invite an element of chaos into our lives. Some of the greatest adventures of our lives will be unplanned, and often our proudest achievements will come out of leftfield. Some people are just meant to collide, and the magic that results from these unions is all the sweeter for the element of surprise!

During the late 1980s, a random sequence of events was set in motion, and like an intricate domino sequence the destination wasn’t instantly obvious, but it was cosmically inevitable. Events that were seemingly unrelated to horticulture, were actually aligning the pawns on the board for the largest garden restoration project in European history.

So where does this story start? Let’s begin at the moment music executive Tim Smit had an epiphany whilst sitting in the back of his limousine. One of Tim’s artists had hogged the top spot on the French music charts for weeks, and was about to be knocked off their pedestal by another of his acts. He realised he couldn’t lose. It was a level of career success Tim had always chased, yet once it was achieved it felt hollow and purposeless. He wanted more from life…

Cue Tim, on a complete whim, purchasing a Cornish farmhouse – a real doer upper! The move from Brixton to Cornwall was a radical change, but Tim was determined to embrace rural living and rebuild his life based upon a more wholesome set of passions and motivations.

Enter Rob Poole, the then head of Newquay Zoo, who asked Tim to foster Horace and Doris, a pair of Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs. Tim dutifully did so, and even managed to raise a litter of piglets, thus sparking his passion for rare breed animals. Tim, a promotions executive to the core, knew that if marketed correctly a heritage breed farm could appeal to the public, and provide him with a new, more meaningful career. The search for a plot of land for Horace and Co. began in earnest.

Tim scoped out Pengrugla Campsite by masquerading as a camper; it was perfect for his rare breed farm and he applied to John Willis, the estate representative, to rent the site. John broke the news to Tim over a ‘too hot’ cup of coffee, that due to the tenant’s recent investment in the site, Pengrugla was off the table. Tim was crestfallen, but continued to make small talk while his coffee cooled, and happened to mention he’d studied Archaeology at university. Little did Tim know that John Willis was actually a descendant of the Tremayne family, and was at that precise moment in great need of an Archaeologist. “I’d like to show you something” John said, “my sister and I recently inherited some land…”

“A mile up the road there was a derelict garden, now rendered all but inaccessible. The shelter belts, once planted as protection from prevailing winds, had recently stood to face one final winter blast. Massive oaks had come crashing down, unselective of their kill… February 16, 1990 was the day I first went with John Willis to explore the lost gardens. In retrospect it was a day that was to change our lives”.

Sources:

Tim Smit on the Live Free Ride Free Podcast, Episode 1, rupertisaacson.com

Tim Smit, The Big Blow, The Lost Gardens Of Heligan

How the gardens came to be lost

 

At the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, Heligan was a thriving estate and the seat of the prosperous Tremayne family. A sizable skilled workforce kept the thousand or so acres in good order, and the estate was a hive of cottage industry. In 1914 the unseasonably warm weather had sent a wave of optimism sweeping across Cornwall, but events were conspiring overseas that would change the people and landscape forever.

Heligan, like many other estates, was cut off mid-sentence when its workforce were ordered to down tools and enlist, forcing them to swap their peaceful, fruitful lives for the fear of Flanders Fields. Many of these poor souls were never to return, and the land they once nurtured, was neglected, reclaimed by nature or in many cases broken up after the war and developed. After WW1, Squire Jack Treymane had been so grief stricken by the losses suffered that he hadn’t parcelled up and sold off chunks of Heligan, he had simply fenced off the garden and moved to Italy, leaving the land to its own devices for decades.

Fast forward to 1990, and the garden was still untouched. In order to cross the threshold John and Tim found themselves cutting their way through dense vegetation and 15 foot high brambles with machetes. So long had nature run wild, that the use of brute force was the only way in. Once within the sanctum of the garden, huge rhododendrons could be seen, along with the brickwork ruins of outbuildings, the heating pipes of old glasshouses, and crumbling walled gardens. John Willis knew from his family history that this had once been a fine estate, with vast, majestic gardens, but he couldn’t see past the jungle that had grown up and consumed it. He didn’t need a plantsman or a gardener, he needed an Archaeologist, a translator, and an out of the box thinker who could interpret what was before them and create a plan of action to move forwards.

“Heligan is a modern miracle… less a fascinating garden – though it remains handsomely that – than the almost archaeological resurrection of a concept, a way of life most of us have only read about; the world of an affluent country house and all it would have once needed in terms of trees and flowers for pleasure, to say nothing of the accompanying vegetable riches – its pineapples, peaches, melons, grapes, kiwis and the rest. Above all Heligan provides a dazzlingly real experience of a lost way of life, almost something from the world of science fiction. It will make even the least imaginative dream.”

From his first introduction to Heligan, Tim Smit was possessed by the magic and sheer possibility of this mysterious place. This was a pivot point in his life, and his vision, project management and marketing skills were completely focused on resurrecting Heligan, whilst captivating the nation with its melancholic story in the process.

 

The Thunderbox Room

 

As John and Tim picked their way gingerly amongst the ruins, they exchanged jests when they found the barely legible graffiti on the wall of the gardeners’ toilet, or Thunderbox Room as it was known. Expecting crass illustrations, they were speechless when they read the pencil etched words that had remarkably survived the passage of years. Under the words “Don’t come here to sleep or slumber” were “the signatures of those who had sat in this place, which was so cramped and dark that it wouldn’t have given much encouragement to do either: W. Durnsford, W. Guy, R. Barron, C. Dyer, C. Ball, Albert Rowe, W. Rose, Vercoe, Vickery, L. Warne, D. Hocking, Carhart… there were more but we couldn’t read them…”

Tim continues, “we were more moved than either of us might have anticipated by the writing on the wall. It had brought the garden alive for us. Real people had led real lives here, and now we knew some of their names. It felt at once like a shared intimacy and an invasion of privacy. We could not ignore it even if we wanted to.

There are many good reasons one could have for wanting to restore a garden; each one has a story to tell and special pleasures to enjoy. However John and I decided that day that preserving Heligan for prosperity by putting it in aspic was not what we wanted. We had flesh and blood in mind. We wanted to hold a mirror up to the past and tell the stories of these people, in a way we hoped they would have understood and approved of. Just as importantly, we wanted to celebrate the lives of all those ordinary men and women who would have once worked in great gardens like these. It would be a completely new way of telling an old story, yet still relevant to so many whose forefathers had toiled in such places. More than anything, the desire to capture the essential spirit of place became the raison d’être of the restoration”.

In 2013, the Imperial War Museum recognised Heligan’s Thunderbox Room as a ‘Living Memorial’ to ‘The Gardeners of Heligan’. A plaque, a Cornish shovel and a WW1 helmet now mark the spot and details can be found on www.iwm.org.uk under entry 63622.

Sources:

Tim Smit on the Live Free Ride Free Podcast, Episode 1, rupertisaacson.com

John Fowles, Foreword to Tim Smit’s ‘The Lost Gardens of Heligan’

Tim Smit, The Secret of the Thunderbox Room, The Lost Gardens Of Heligan

https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/63622

The glory of Heligan’s Camellias and Rhododendrons

 

The Lost Gardens of Heligan has a National Collection of Camellias and Rhododendrons Introduced to Heligan pre-1920.

The earliest known rhododendrons in the collection were raised from seed collected by the infamous plant hunter Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker during his expedition to India in 1847-51. Hooker brought back species such as Arboreum, Niveum, Grande and Falconeri, which have flourished at Heligan now for over 150 years. Twentieth century additions include rhododendrons Decorum, Griersonianum, Ririei and Sino-Grande.

In terms of camellias, Squire John Hearle Tremayne (1780–1851) oversaw the earliest camellia plantings, varieties such as Althaeiflora, Anemoniflora and Fimbriata. Later in the 1870s and 80s, Squire John Tremayne planted continental varieties, Lavinia Maggi, Auguste Delfosse and Eugenie de Massena, whilst the last Squire of Heligan, Jack Tremayne, (1869–1949), planted Gloire de Nantes, Fleur Dipater and Madame Martin Cachet.

Heligan’s collection includes over 70 veteran camellias and more than 350 ancient rhododendrons, which are found dotted across the estate, in the walled gardens, gracefully bordering paths, and standing proudly amid fabulous planting displays. The earliest known planting dates from 1792, it is a camellia Japonica (Alba Plena) and can be found at the top of The Ravine.

Post 1914, the quiet period in the gardens allowed plants, both wild and cultivated, to grow without restraint. The plants in Heligan’s National Collection had ample time, and protection from the overgrown borders, to develop into the noteworthy specimens they are today. These ancient plants are breathtaking to behold, and offer a tangible link between the garden as it once was, to the gardens we see today.

 

The Lost Gardens of Heligan as they bloom today

 

200 acres have been regenerated into a paradise for the explorer, historian, plant lover, wilderness seeker and garden romantic. The contemporary goal of the garden is to work in harmony with nature, protecting the species that grow in the garden and respecting and enhancing the variety of habitats. There is a rich ecosystem within the garden walls, and Heligan has all of the ingredients it needs to be self-sufficient. However the garden team are not opposed to a spot of foraging, led by Head Gardener Nicola they recently headed down to Portmellon beach to harvest seaweed for the vegetable beds. It doesn’t get more resourceful or Cornish than that!

If forced to pick a favourite part of the gardens we would be torn, its scope and diversity could offer a new highlight for every day of the year. A front runner would certainly be the magnificent tree fern King in the Jungle which is an absolute giant. It is possibly the tallest in the UK and will have started its life in 19th century Australia before being sent over here around 1900. It has elegance and heft all in one.

 

The Pleasure Garden

 

First laid out over 200 years ago, and with surviving historic plantings that are over 150 years old, the nostalgic structures and surprising features of the Pleasure Grounds are connected by a network of romantic pathways. A journey around the pleasure gardens is in fact a trip around the world, the Italian garden oozes Mediterranean charm, the ancient Rhododendrons tell stories of India, and the Tree Ferns from New Zealand transport you to a Maori homeland. The National Collection of ‘Camellias and Rhododendrons introduced to Heligan pre-1920’ can be found here, and provide a vivid riot of spring colour.

 

Welcome to the Jungle

You can feel the exotic atmosphere of the jungle as you walk through its steep-sided valley. The microclimate of this part of the garden is such that it can be five degrees warmer than elsewhere. A journey through the jungle is an adventure of sounds, scents, dense foliage, spectacular trees, lush plantings and dramatic views, all of which combine to whisk your imagination away to far away shores.

Traverse the raised boardwalk, walk amongst giant rhubarb, banana plantations and down avenues of glorious palms. Get lost amongst bamboo forests and absorb the array of plants in the rich collection, many of which were brought back from exotic locations around the world by intrepid plant hunters.

The Jungle team work with a freedom not afforded to their fellows in the more formal areas of the gardens. The free spirit of the plant hunters lives on here, and there is an imagination and playful mood to the planting. The 100 foot long Burmese Rope Bridge is one of the longest in Britain, stretching high above tree ferns and an expansive Jungle landscape.

 

The Productive Garden

 

The Victorian Productive Garden at The Lost Gardens of Heligan occupies approximately three acres, and produces around five tonnes of fruit and vegetables every year – an impressive yield! It also acts as a moving photograph, an opportunity to step back in time to when these gardens once met almost all the needs of the Tremayne family and their guests. Cultivated year round, the garden now nurtures over 300 varieties of heritage fruit, vegetables, salad and herbs, which supply the Heligan Kitchen with fresh, seasonal produce, and offer the public an opportunity to taste the fruits of Heligan’s labours.

The Kitchen Garden, walled Flower Garden and Melon Yard employ traditional growing methods to showcase a spectacular range of crops. Visitors will discover how glasshouses can nurture exotic fruits, learn about Victorian crop rotation, and get a feel for the working rhythm of the estate.

Interestingly, Heligan’s Productive Garden team is the same size as during the Victorian era, and proudly practises the same horticultural methods that are labour-intensive, yet nurture the soil, support biodiversity and promote regeneration. If you have a passion for ‘growing your own’ then you’ll be blown away by the Productive Gardens.

The legacy of Horace and Doris lives on

 

True to Tim’s original passion, The Lost Gardens of Heligan are home to the first rare breeds park in the whole of the South West. This was the spark that ignited this whole journey of regeneration and discovery, so Heligan wouldn’t be complete without it.

The farmland is stocked – just as it would have been – with traditional breeds such as North Devon and British White cattle, plus Kerry Hill, Devon and Cornwall Longwool sheep. Only sustainable, low intensity farming techniques are employed – idyllic hay meadows offer sanctuary to butterflies and swallows in the summertime, and the hay is then dried to feed the cattle during the cold winter months.

 

A touching story of people and place that will linger with you long after your visit

 

Alasdair Moore, Head of Gardens and Estate at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, has always been fascinated by the mysteries surrounding Heligan. He says, “I was a student gardener when the first articles and television programmes about the restoration appeared and it seemed the most exciting horticultural adventure imaginable. Not only are the gardens beautiful and the plant collection fascinating, but Heligan is rich with human stories. The relationship between the gardens and people, past, present and future, is very powerful at Heligan. I find it really meaningful”.

The story of Heligan is as much about people as it is about horticulture; it captures the ingenuity of a working estate and the fragility of life, and shows us how close we were to losing touch with the magic of Heligan forever. Heligan honours the past, enriches the present and shows us a path towards a more connected future.

Tim Smit said, the “restoration wasn’t about restoring it to a Royal Horticultural Society or National Trust standard, I wanted to capture the very spirit of lostness that would make people feel the gentle ebb and flow of melancholy – because melancholy is the sexiest thing in the world… I wanted Heligan to be a place that would be at its absolute finest in a gentle drizzle – and that is how it has become. The Lost Gardens of Heligan are the most romantic gardens in Britain.”

Open 12 months a year there is a chance that you’ll visit Heligan in the drizzle, so don’t despair – this is just how Tim Smit envisioned it. Draped in the mystery of the past, fringed with the comfort of nostalgia, and brimming with pride and optimism of a world and way of life reimagined, there is nowhere else quite like The Lost Gardens of Heligan. If you want to feel moved, and transported to another place in time, if you want to be inspired to grow more, and reconnect with nature, and if you want to rediscover what was once lost, but has now been so respectfully and lovingly restored, then be sure to visit the enchanting gardens at Heligan.