Tresco ’26 #3: Homeward bound

Read this blog: The one where we experience a whiteout in a helicopter

Saturday 19th to Monday 21st September 2026

In contrast to the outward journey which took place in clear skies and sunshine, the helicopter flight back to the mainland was beset by fog. The pilot completed several circles just off the coast by Penzance hoping the fog would clear.

A gap in the clouds did eventually open up and, after a few nerve-wracking minutes when we thought we might have to divert to another airport or even return to Tresco, we were thankfully able to touch down in Penzance where we said farewell to Sue and Henry.

Over the years we have regularly passed Hardy Exotics on the road into Penzance and Matilda has been yearning to visit. This year we had planned a leisurely journey home with two overnight stays and agreed we would drop in on our way.

When we arrived, the owner stressed that this was not a traditional garden centre. Walking round was indeed more like taking a stroll through the Tresco Abbey Gardens or an RHS property.

From here we decided to go to Trerice. This Elizabethan manor is a National Trust property which has been largely unaltered thanks to being unoccupied for long periods while the owners lived elsewhere. The Jacobean ceilings are impressive.

It seems that sometimes neglect can turn out to be a good thing.

The house at Trerice is built in warm golden stone with ornate gables and is surrounded by a small but interesting and varied garden. Perhaps the highlight is the replanted Elizabethan knot garden which is surrounded by apple trees [see below].

A set of kayles is on display inside the house. The game of kayling is a Cornish version of outdoor skittles using nine pins which are both shorter and rounder than those used in ten pin bowling. Apparently visitors can play this game on the lawn using a less historic set of kayles.

From Trerice we drove to Looe where we had booked to stay at the Harbour Moon Inn on The Quay and we were lucky enough to find a parking space a short walk from the inn. There was a music festival underway and we opted to eat at the Harbour Moon Inn rather than trying to find somewhere else in an already crowded town. Unusually, we both ordered the same [see Dish of the day]. Although the weather was damp when we arrived, as we left the following morning the sun was shining providing fine views of the Looe River estuary.

Our first stop was Stourhead, a neo-classical Palladian house and garden.

Originally known as Stourton Manor, the property was the seat of the Lords Stourton. After it was acquired by Henry Hoare I [1677–1724], a rich banker, it was renamed Stourhead as the River Stour rises in the grounds of the estate. Henry Hoare promptly demolished the existing building and in 1720 work began on the present house, from a design by the architect, Colen Campbell.

Several iconic temple buildings adorn the route around the lake. The first of these was the Temple of Flora, erected between 1744 and 1746. The Pantheon followed and, lastly, the Temple of Apollo was completed up on the hillside in 1765.

The house has undergone several alterations over the years: the most obvious one being the addition of two wings in 1796. The first Henry Hoare’s son, also named Henry Hoare [the Magnificent] collected a rich array of cabinets, statues, and paintings. The collection has also been added to by the present owner, Sir Richard Colt Hoare.

The highlight for us was the Library [above and below].

It is one of the finest remaining Regency libraries in Britain. All the more extraordinary as it survived a fire which destroyed the central part of the house in 1902. 

The gardens are extensive and Matilda was taken with this horse in one of the courtyards but we wanted to make sure we could climb Alfred’s Tower and we knew that last entry was 14:45. We had fallen foul of the last entry time in Salisbury on the downward journey and so were careful to check in advance.

We drove to Alfred’s Tower which is two miles north west of Stourhead Garden itself but the road took a far more convoluted route.

This unusual three-sided folly was designed by Henry Flitcroft [1697-1769] for the second Sir Henry Hoare and is named after King Alfred who raised his standard here in 878. The tower also commemorates the accession of George III in 1760 and the end of the Seven Years’ War.

Originally inspired by the campanile of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, it was eventually constructed in the Gothic Revival style fashionable at the time. Earlier, Henry Flitcroft had been responsible for designing the Pantheon and the Temple of Flora in the garden mentioned above.

The tower is similar to the Belvedere folly in Windsor Great Park, which Flitcroft designed in 1752.

We climbed 205 steps up the 160ft [59m] high tower to enjoy views over three counties from the top [see Selfie of the day]. With two more stamps in Matilda’s National Trust passport, we drove on to Lymington where we had booked to stay in the Angel and Blue Pig Inn on the High Street. This handsome thoroughfare features fine Georgian and Victorian buildings and many independent retailers and cafés.

Lymington faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. It is both a historic coastal port and a maritime and sailing centre with many marinas and yacht clubs. A cobbled street leads from the bottom of the High Street to the Old Town Quay . . .

. . . and the harbour.

The town also has a local hero celebrated by the Post Office. We passed this golden post box, celebrating Ben Ainslie’s Olympic win.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this historic yachting centre and would like to return as Robert has a friend who lives nearby although sadly he was away when we visited this time.

Selfie of the day:

Dish of the day: