News from Budock Vean
Spring 2020 Breaks
Our guide to things to do on your Spring break by the Helford River
Blooming Magnolias mark the early arrival of spring
Cornwall is always head and shoulders above the rest of the country when it comes to shaking off its winter coat and thanks to the Great Gardens of Cornwall we’ve now got proof. They’ve been keeping an eye on the Champion Magnolia campelli trees at six gardens across the county and officially declare spring to have sprung when all six have at least 50 blooms. This year (2020) the arrival of spring was declared on Tuesday 18th February.
It’s always wonderful to see the first flush pink emblems of spring at their absolute best, as shown by the beautiful rhododendrons that line the driveway to Budock Vean Hotel. Our own valley garden is coming to life and is a great place to walk through on the way to our private foreshore, and we highly recommend a visit to our neighbours at Trebah Garden and Glendurgan Garden to catch the spring blooms at their best.
Falmouth Spring Festival takes place from 19th – 29th March. Offering an explosion of colour by quite simply painting the waterside town of Falmouth yellow, this lively two-week festival provides family fun alongside a show of spring flowers, guided walks, rockpool rambles and many other community events. THIS EVENT HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED.
There’s also the Cornwall Spring Flower Show on the 4th and 5th April at the Royal Cornwall Showground in Wadebridge. Amazing colour with over 100 trade stands and tips from expert gardeners as the Cornwall Garden Society once again showcase a fragrant celebration of Cornish garden mania. THIS EVENT HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED.
Carpets of bluebells are on their way
April and May is an amazing time to see carpets of bluebells in Cornwall, so we haven’t got long to wait. Enys Gardens in nearby Penryn is the perfect place to see them with meadows covered in them creating a vibrant sea of blue.
Glorious spring walks
Step out onto the South West Coast Path and you’ll find cliffsides draped in colour and teaming with new life. Walk some of our favourite local routes or head off a little further afield, perhaps spend the day walking to Falmouth and then catch a bus back – making sure you stop in a beach café along the way for refreshments!
Out on the water
Explore the Helford River by boat or kayak from our private foreshore with Helford River Cruises or Koru Kayaking. A great way to get close to nature and to see things from a different perspective. Your informative guides will regale you with wonderful stories of life on the river and the history of the area.
Helford River Children’s Sailing Trust have Easter and Summer holiday sailing courses for children – you need to book in advance and it’s a great way for kids to learn the basics of sailing on the sheltered waters of the Helford River.
Easter events
You don’t have to go far for an Easter Egg hunt – we run our own over the Easter Weekend for families staying with us, plus there’s an outbreak of giant bunnies at the Eden Project in St Austell and nearby Glendurgan Garden have an Easter Egg Hunt on offer for children. For other Easter events head over to Visit Cornwall’s website.
It’s the perfect time to see seals
We’re not the only ones who are pleased to be saying goodbye to winter and a big hello to spring; grey seals have also been feeling the wrath of the cold, winter storms. Coinciding with their breeding and pupping season, winter has brought troublesome adventures to many of them, but thankfully the marvellous Cornish Seal Sanctuary located in Gweek, just a few miles from Budock Vean, has been on hand to pick them up along the Cornish coast. Get along to the Sanctuary now (early spring is the best time to see pups) to catch these beautiful creatures as they are treated to a spot of rehabilitation before they are released back into the wild.