In this article, Lizzy who runs one of our most enchanting places to stay in the Tamar Valley, shares her best spots for enjoying one of late winter’s most welcome sights – snowdrops. Lizzy runs Railholiday, with its own onsite snowdrop walk, its a lovely place to stay any time of year, but especially in late winter or early spring when everything is so fresh and new. Keep reading to find out all about the best snowdrop walks in and nearby the Tamar Valley.
The photo at the top of this article is of a gorgeous display of snowdrops in the hedgerows at Todsworthy Farm Holidays.
February is a wonderful time to visit The Tamar Valley. Not only is Cornwall famed for its early camellias, many of which will be in full bloom, but there’s the added attraction of snowdrops. Here are a few suggestions for some of the best places to see them.
Formal Gardens
Snowdrops in the Upper Garden at Cotehele
National Trust property Cotehele has marvellous spring gardens. The earliest of the snowdrops come first in the upper garden, then spread throughout the grounds as January melds into February.
Our favourite way of visiting Cotehele is to take the scenic Tamar Valley Line from Plymouth, then walk the footpath from Calstock station that runs above the Tamar through delightful woodland. And of course lunch or high tea in the cafe is always part of the treat. Trains run regularly from Plymouth throughout the year; see greatscenicrailways.co.uk for more.
If you’re looking for somewhere to stay nearby, Todsworthy Farm Holidays, comprising two fully-accessible luxury self-catering cottages on a family farm, has a footpath that runs directly to Cotehele. For more details please scroll down to the section on where to stay.
February view of the snowdrop drifts, Galanthus elwesii varieties, The Garden House, Devon, UK
The Garden House at Buckland Monachorum must be one of the finest places to see snowdrops in the south-west. With over 330 cultivars of different snowdrops, it is a galanthophile’s dream. The Garden House’s Snowdrop Festival runs from the second week in January until early March. During this period the cafe serves snowdrop-themed cakes. They also have days where specialist nurseries visit, offering the opportunity to purchase a rare plant. Check their website for details.
Saltram House
National Trust owned Saltram House near Plymouth has a magical garden, with extensive parkland and a house filled with treasures, stories and intrigue. Along with carpets of snowdrops and hellebores, there are fabulously scented winter shrubs, including daphnes, Christmas box and winter flowering honeysuckle. If you look carefully around the garden you may spy some fairy houses too! (Saltram’s fairy festival starts on the 6th January and runs until the 13th February.)
Magical Churchyards
St Raphael's Chappel
St Wenna
St Wenna’s churchyard in Morval, near Looe, is worth a visit, and comes highly recommended by those in the know. From St Wenna it’s worth visiting Looe and taking a walk through the lovely Kiliminorth woods.
St Germans
The Stable Yard at Port Eliot
There are several places to enjoy snowdrops in the pretty riverside village of St Germans. The public footpath from St Germans to Tideford has many naturalised snowdrops along the way. There are also lots of snowdrops among the Victorian graves at the end of the expansive and ancient graveyard.
If you chose to stay in St Germans, Railholiday offer award-winning holidays in railway carriages beside the railway station and have ten acres of private woodland, complete with a snowdrop walk, for their guests to enjoy.
While in St Germans, do take a detour to the fabulous Norman church, which was once the cathedral of Cornwall, with its Burne-Jones stained glass windows. Also on the doorstep is Port Eliot House and Gardens, which has modest drifts of snowdrops in the formal gardens, sweeping vistas from the nearby Stables at Port Eliot and a beautiful riverside walk. Fans of BBC’s Beyond Paradise will recognise The Stables at Port Eliot as the Ten-Mile Cafe from series. It has recently been extended and refurbished to incorporate a chic cocktail-and-live-music bar.
More than snowdrops…
Mount Edgcumbe
The Lovely Walk from Kingsands to Cawsands
While visiting the Tamar Valley, it is worth noting that there are several gardens famed for early camellias. Mount Edgecumbe House, just a stone’s throw by ferry from Plymouth, is home to the National camellia collection. From here you can walk along the coast footpath to the twin villages of Kingsands and Cawsands, which were once divided by the country boundaries of Devon and Cornwall.
Antony Woodland Garden
The Repton designed Antony Woodland Gardens has an abundance of camellias and other early flowering garden trees. The woodand walk at Antony is open all year, while the formal gardens open from 15th February.
On Foot or Bike
A walk or cycle around the many lanes of the Tamar Valley will always reward with sightings of naturalised snowdrops. Nothing beats walking on a crisp winter’s day. February is a good time for exploring the Tamara Coast to Coast Way, snowdrop spotting en-route. There is a temporary closure of the Lopwell Dam due to flood damage, but this is scheduled to be reopened on the 6th February.
Some of our favourite snowdrop-filled lanes have been discovered on a bike. Try cycling from Liskeard towards St Cleer via Treworgey, or head to Looe on the back lanes around Trewidland, or the maze of lanes between Pillaton and Tideford Cross. The hedges are always full of surprises.
Places to Stay
Todsworthy Farm Holidays
Todsworthy Farm Holiday’s luxury self-catering cottages lie within a traditional family farm in the very heart of the Tamar Valley. There are snowdrops in all hedges surrounding the cottages,. There’s also the added bonus of a footpath that goes straight to the beautiful Cotehele Gardens, featured earlier. Todsworthy Farm is a mixed enterprise of 70 acres. A family farm, where you will find cows with their calves, sheep, chickens and even a few pigs.
Todsworthy Farm Holidays comprises of two superb 18th century self catering holiday cottages in a location where you can enjoy unrivalled comfort and tranquillity. For anyone with mobility issues, Todsworthy Farm Holidays is a dream destination; each cottage is fully-equipped to an M3 rating, with the added bonus that all the key areas of the farm are also accessible and the 70 acres are increasingly being revised to allow complete access throughout.
Railholiday's Woodland Snowdrop Walk
Guests at the award-winning railway carriages at the riverside village of St Germans have a special winter treat. For the last decade Railholiday owners Dave and Lizzy Stroud have been extending the snowdrop walk in their ten-acre woods, by introducing cultivated species to compliment the drifts of native snowdrops. For less mobile guests the carriage gardens have been carefully planted to include hellebores, crocuses and, of course, more snowdrops. Railholiday is the perfect car-free holiday destination as the carriages are well served by an excellent train service.
There is a choice of four Victorian carriages to stay in. The Old Luggage Van and The Travelling Post Office have views of the neighbouring Cornish mainline, while the sumptuous Mevy overlooks rolling countryside, as does Millpool, which is fully-equipped for wheelchair users. While staying in St Germans, rail-enthusiasts might also like a tour of Railholiday’s conversion projects, which includes a GWR royal saloon built for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee
We hope you enjoy your next visit – don’t leave it too long.
Thank you Lizzy for this lovely article
