Tehidy Country Park - 'Time for Tehidy'
Tehidy Country Park, which once formed the core of the Basset family's Tehidy Estate, is today managed by Cornwall Council for public good. It includes the largest area of woodland in west Cornwall (approx. 250 acres) and hosts over 9 miles of paths offering an engaging setting for a variety of uses.
This diverse site, contains a wealth of archaeology and heritage interest as well a multiple habitats, stretching from the urban fringe of the Camborne, Pool, Illogan conurbation, through historic plantations scattered with impressive specimen trees, to the coast at the dramatic North Cliffs, where the site has become renowned for hosting magical tails produced by Rogue Theatre.
In the south, there is a landscaped lake and picturesque cascades, over which the Tehidy Stream flows through oak woods carpeted in bluebells each Spring. Accessible paths beside the lake turn into more rambling trails as you move deeper into the woods, where you'll find the historic Otter Trap, and if you look closely enough, make out mediaeval field boundaries, hosting delicate ecologies.
Roaming the paths you can find the tucked away Rose Garden, climb over Romano-British Rounds, and experience the rich biodiversity now sprawling over medieval field boundaries. All amongst other hidden gems.
Access is from carparks at South Drive, East Drive and North Cliffs, or on foot via the trail from Coombe in the west.
Site facilities include a cafe and toilets near the lake and carpark at South Drive as well as ample space and resting areas for picnics throughout the site.
A site map including details of the carparks and trails is available here: Tehidy Country Park Map
Tehidy has so much to offer people and nature as we strive to use our landscape to enrich our quality of life, providing our our needs and those of the wildlife with which we must learn to co-exist.
Tehidy is a gateway from the Camborne, Pool, Illogan and Redruth (CPIR) urban area, Cornwall’s largest conurbation with over 60,00 residents, to the countryside and the coast beyond. As well as this, it was taken on by Cornwall Council as a public good to provide benefit to the people of Cornwall, one and all.
Our green spaces are so important for everyone’s wellbeing. Hence we are taking the time to evaluate the role that Tehidy plays in your lives and the potential to enhance the multi-functional offer provided by this fascinating and spacial place.
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Apple tree event – bringing new life to an old estate
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Offering yet more interesting goings on at Tehidy Country Park, dedicated members of the volunteer team shared their expertise in orchards and passion the Park during a free event at the site.
Did you know that Orchards were identified as a Priority Habitat in the UK biodiversity Action Plan (2007) – hotspots for biodiversity as fruit trees mature quickly, offering features like deadwood and treeforms that support decomposers and invertebrates, underpinning a rich interconnected food-web.
On 25th February an event to introduce more orchard trees into Tehidy, and promote community orchards across Cornwall, was led by Andrew Tompsett, a stalwart volunteer who has, over the years, added significantly to the historic orchard on the north-side of Tehidy, and Michelle Lawson, a community orchard facilitator who recently established Resilient Orchards Cornwall and is also a volunteer at the Country Park.
Being canny with the cambium
Various methods of grafting were demonstrated by Andrew, which brought new variety to the existing orchard, which dates back well over 100 years and contains a range of Cornish and commercial varieties. ‘The key thing’ he explained, is ensuring a connection between the cambium (layer just below the bark) of the rootstock and the scion wood (introduced variety)’.
The whip and tongue technique was used to establish a new variety - ‘Sweet society’, a small aromatic eater, whilst the cleft technique was shown as a way to develop a new tree on existing mature rootstock, where the stump is much wider than the scion. Participants were also shown methods for introducing different varieties into the same tree through frameworking, whereby some branches of the original tree are replaced with new ones – great for small gardens as cross pollination and a range of produce can be achieved from the same tree.
Andrew Tompsett Resilient orchards for resilient places and communitiesActivities then moved to the Event’s Field, an area that many people visiting Tehidy for a Rogue Theatre performance will be familiar with as the parking area. Here, there is a plan to introduce more biodiversity and interest and planting the apple trees, kindly donated by Michelle, was a great step towards this.
Michelle introduced her community interest company Resilient Orchard Cornwall’s explaining that upskilling in orchard skills and repurposing even quite modest spaces in towns and villages for orchard growing can contribute not just to nature recovery, but also to the ability of people and communities to withstand pressures on our food supply system cheaply and equitably.
Cornish Gillyflower, a distinctive eater with reddish toned bark, were planted at entrances to the woodchip paths winding through the North Cliffs Plantation, acting as ‘natural waymarkers’. Underplanting with spring bulbs including narcissus, fritillaria and bluebell was added to provide a decoration of gem-colours.
The trees having been grafted on to wild rootstock from Tehidy demonstrate how orchards represent ongoing sustainability. Recycled bike tyre inner tubes were used to provide a flexible tie to diagonal stakes and an area at least 50cm diameter was mulched around the tree, providing an important barrier to competitive grasses and helping to retain moisture in the soil whilst the tree roots into the parent soil.
Michelle Lawson of Resilient Orchards Cornwall leads the planting demonstrations
The finished trees looking comfortable in their new home at Tehidy Country ParkFor more family focused events at Tehidy, continue to check this page.
To find out more about Resilient Orchards Cornwall visit: https://www.resilientorchards.org.uk/blog/
If you are interested in volunteering at Tehidy Country Park, see upcoming sessions in our Key Dates section.
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Apple tree event this half-term
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Do you want to find out more about how to graft, plant and care for apple trees?
Pop along to our free event on Friday 25th February. Details are found in the poster below, or in our Key Dates diary. All welcome!
Videos
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Yes, a garden in the middle of a woods. Just one of the many hidden gems at Tehidy Country park.
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Volunteers explain what Tehidy Country Park means to them.
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How to volunteer to get out, stay active and help keep our countryside open.
Who's Listening
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Phone 07749712452 Email charlotte.evans@cornwall.gov.uk -
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Campsite Bookings
ESPhone 0300 1234 202
