England: Great Gardens of Cornwall in the company of Mike Nelhams
14th Apr 2026
Key Highlights
- Personal welcome and introduction from Sir Tim Smit at Heligan
- Tour of Heligan with Alasdair Moore
- Lunch and welcome from the owner at Caerhays Castle
- Private visit to the Tregothnan Estate and Tea Plantation with welcome from Lord Falmouth
- Day trip to Abbey Gardens and personally conducted tour with Curator Mike Nelhams
Summary
With the help of Mike Nelhams, Curator of Tresco’s Abbey Gardens and a long-standing friend of Brightwater Holidays, we have put together this very special tour of Cornwall, featuring not only the gardens but the personalities behind them. These include Sir Tim Smit, the driving force behind both the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project, Charles Williams of Caerhays Castle and Lord Falmouth of Tregothnan Estate. At our base in the comfortable Alverton Hotel, Truro, our tour begins with a presentation from Mike Nelhams on the great Gardens of Cornwall.
Over the following three days, we will see the gardens for ourselves, beginning with a tour of the Lost Gardens of Heligan with one of the gardening team and may a personal introduction from Sir Tim Smit. We also enjoy a visit to the wonderful gardens of Caerhays Castle, which includes lunch and we hope to be welcomed by the owner, Charles Williams. After an exciting day on Tresco and a tour of the outstanding Abbey Gardens led by Mike himself, our tour concludes with a visit to the private garden of Lamorran House and a tour of the unique Tregothnan Tea Plantation.
What's included
- Accommodation
- Meals - as per the itinerary
- Train travel
- Comfortable coach travel throughout
- All visits as outlined in the itinerary
- Services of a professional tour manager
Meet your tour manager
Mike Nelhams
Mike Nelhams is the Curator of Tresco’s Abbey Gardens and one of Brightwater Holidays’ most popular and well-travelled garden experts. Mike has been leading tours for Brightwater for over 10 years and has travelled to Australia, Singapore and California sharing his passion and knowledge for horticulture with a loyal following of guests.
Day by Day Itinerary
We depart by train from London Paddington for Truro and continue by coach to our hotel in Cornwall. There is also the option of travelling independently to the hotel (£100pp discount per person) and regional rail connections can also be arranged at a supplement. Before dinner our guide Mike Nelhams will give a presentation on his favourite Cornish gardens including those we are about to see.
We are based at the 4-star Alverton Hotel, Truro.
Meals includedDinner
Departure Routes
| Location | Pickup Time | Dropoff Time |
|---|---|---|
| London Paddington Station | 00:00 | |
| Truro Railway Station | 00:00 |
** Please note that all timings are approximate and subject to change. Final timings and pick-up points will be confirmed with your joining instructions approximately 10 days prior to departure. **
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