Just a few miles down the road from the cottages at Middle Colenso, Godolphin is a magical place. The house, surrounded by woodland and what was once a deer park, is a shadow of its former self but its grand colonnaded facade and the still-discernible lines of its medieval garden hint at its past as one of Cornwall's great mining estates.
The garden and estate are a source of delight throughout the seasons. In spring the woods are filled with the intense scent and colour of bluebells and at this time of year, with the garden teetering on the brink of autumn, there are Japanese anemones and sweetpeas spilling over the paths, fat red rose hips and apples ripening on gnarled branches.
These days Godolphin is a National Trust property and the house itself is a holiday let, only accessible to the public for the first week of each month. Although I personally don't much care for the way in which it's been restored, it is worth a look if you happen to be there when it's open. The King's Room, with its ornately carved doorway and magnificent fireplace, is always open to visitor and there's also a rather good secondhand bookshop.
I‘ve written about Godolphin before and don’t want to repeat myself so, if you you’d like to read more about the history of the estate please click here. This is more of a photo essay from our late summer visit.
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