Founded in the late 1700s , for many years Heligan was the home of the Tremayne family, and reached its peak in the late 19th century. Things quickly changed, however, with the outbreak of World War I. The conflict took away gardeners and janitors who tended this amazing garden, and in 1990 a violent storm threatened to make it disappear forever. For many years Heligan remained an abandoned place, but thanks to the efforts of the discographer Tim Smith (creator of the Cornwall Eden Project) and John Willis, descendant of the Tremayne family, since 1991 it has flourished again and today it hosts a great variety of plant and animal species on an area of 80 hectares (and think that until a few decades ago it was located on an area of 400 hectares!). An interesting mix between a Victorian-style English garden and a jungle... with special guests. The real lords of this garden are in fact the huge statues of giants, trolls and maidens surrounded by fantastic decorations. Impressive is the rock that according to legend was the inspiration for the "Sleeping Beauty", surrounded by nature and enchanted by the singing of birds, just like in the fairy tale. Today visitors can admire this enchanted place saved from neglect and returned to its former glory, among fairy creatures, precious flowers and wild animals.
