As winter sets in, spring begins and we begin preparing the boat for our Helford River cruise on April 1st.
large garden
There is much to see in this stunning river, surrounded by large gardens at Trebah and Glendurgan, which were planted by the Fox Family, wealthy shipping agents who fell in love with Helford and made it their home after holidaying on Helford from Falmouth. Alfred and Sarah Fox bought Glendurgan, which was situated behind the picturesque village of Durgan and contained an old schoolhouse, which Sarah used to teach her children. Trebah was planted by tree-loving Charles Fox and at the bottom of the garden you’ll see a stunning golden beach, but don’t be fooled, it’s completely man-made, with concrete blocks near the beach that served as a landing platform for the Americans to launch during the Normandy invasion.
National Trust Grandroot Gardens, Helford River. cornwall
bird protection society
This hidden gem is an intertidal zone with high tides every 12 hours. It’s an estuary, a flooded valley, so there are mudflats upstream where wading birds live. Curlews, little egrets, herons, redbirds and kingfishers enjoy cockles and food in the mud, but we’re on high tide so you’ll see birds flying among the branches of Frenchman Creek or nesting on Porvelar Creek in the North Atlantic temperate rainforest, complete with derelict boats and stories to tell.
Cornwall waterside village
Or you might enjoy the sailing boats and Cornish riverside villages of Helford Passage, the Shipwrights Arms, a thatched-roof pub in Helford, or the oyster farms and Port Navas Yacht Club of Port Navas Creek.
Shipwrights Arms, Helford Village, Helford River, Cornwall
seals and dolphins
This stunning area is a picturesque back garden for the bustling harbor town of Falmouth, with birdlife in the shallows of the creek and the occasional sighting of an Atlantic gray seal or dolphin in Treba’s deeper waters and out to sea.
-
-
dolphin
-
-
atlantic gray seal
-
-
curlew
There was a lot to see during our 90-minute boat trip. Whether you’re traveling alone, as a couple, as a family or booking a private charter, travel is never the same. Since we depart at high tide, please note that boat times vary from day to day!