Inside the beautiful Cornish lodge with out-of-hours access to one of England’s most beautiful gardens – and a secret beach

Trebah Garden is a work of art. I feel like I’ve stepped into Claude Monet’s painting ‘The Water Lily Pond’.

Thousands of flowers – two hectares’ worth – in blue, magenta, cream and iridescent violet surround a sky-blue bridge over a lily pad-strewn pond in a scene that reflects the artist’s famous work.

Hydrangea macrophylla. Gunnera manicata. Nymphaea. The Latin plant names written on small pictures near the flowers sound like whispered sayings – and I am enchanted by this subtropical paradise on the south-west coast of Cornwall.

Great British Gardens was also enchanted, ranking the 26-acre retreat as one of the best gardens in England.

And like any self-respecting magical garden, it holds secrets. One of these is the recently opened Trebah Lodge at the head of the valley smothered by the garden. I’m staying there with my equally mesmerized husband, arriving on the GWR Night Riviera sleeper train from London Paddington.

Sophie Foster checks into Trebah Lodge on the south-west coast of Cornwall, which offers out-of-hours access to the magical Trebah Garden. Above is a spot she compares to Claude Monet’s painting “The Water Lily Pond.”

Luxury: Trebah Lodge (above) is described by Sophie as ‘a cosy, comforting place to stay’

With tears in our eyes we disembark at Truro at 7am, from where it is a 40-minute taxi ride to the lodge, located in an Area of ​​Outstanding Natural Beauty south of Falmouth.

We stumble out of the car in the early morning sunshine and into our home for the weekend – a cozy, comforting retreat furnished with elegant Edwardian antiques, but sprinkled with enough modern amenities to keep us from fully believing that we’re stepping back into the set time.

But the most joyful aspect of staying at the lodge isn’t what’s inside, but having access outside office hours to what’s outside: four miles of walking trails through a garden with nearly 200 years of plant history.

Easily enough magazine to keep us in awe for a weekend.

Each morning we wander into the valley past the Trebah Kitchen restaurant and into the lush garden basin organized by a series of trails named after the plants, animals or landmarks nearby, or after notable contributors to the estate.

The amusingly named Bamboozle is surrounded by tall bamboo stems.

Dreamy: Upstairs is one of the elegantly decorated bedrooms in the lodge

Sophie says of the lodge: ‘[It’s] furnished with elegant Edwardian antiques, but sprinkled with enough modern amenities not to completely make us believe we’ve stepped back in time’

Strolling through Gunnera Passage – a walkway lined with giant rhubarb plants or ‘gunnera’ – feels like walking through Jurassic Park, with the enormous leaves stretching into a canopy and giant pink fur-like buds surrounding us up to our knees.

Fortunately, the only dinosaurs we find are ancient trees, some of which are the oldest living specimens of their kind in Britain.

We admire berries, seed pods and blooming flowers as we walk past the koi pond, the Stumpery with its felled trees and the water garden, where an artificial stream babbles.

You can reach the ‘Monet Bridge’ by walking through the beautiful Hydrangea Valley. And just beyond that lies the garden’s second secret.

A private beach.

Pebbly Polgwidden Cove, also known as Trebah Beach, is located on the Helford River, a beautiful coastal inlet hidden between the western edge of Falmouth Bay and the eastern side of the Lizard Peninsula.

The water is sparkling clear, but refreshingly cold. Despite this, people wade in with their pants rolled up around their knees.

Trebah Garden is on the doorstep of the lodge, although there are no views of ‘paradise’ from inside

Prices for Trebah Lodge start from £112 per night with a minimum three-night stay

Small plaques near the flowers in the garden, says Sophie, ‘sound like whispered sayings’

The garden contains four miles of walking trails with almost 200 years of plant history – and is home to some of Britain’s oldest trees

Bloomin’ wonderful: British Gardens ranked Trebah Garden as one of the best in England

Out of the water, they buy ice cream (try the tart cherry sorbet), beer, local cider and snacks from a small shop and gather around signs to learn about the bay’s role in World War II and its nickname ‘Yankee Beach ‘. .

The coast was covered with concrete and turned into a D-Day embarkation point by the 29th US Infantry Division, from which they launched an attack on Omaha Beach in Normandy in 1944.

What remains of the concrete at the back of the beach is now a handy picnic spot with wooden tables where we sit down to eat sandwiches for lunch.

Trebah Garden’s private beach: the pebbly Polgwidden Cove, also known as Trebah Beach

Polgwidden Cove is located on the Helford River. The coast was covered with concrete and turned into a D-Day embarkation point by the 29th US Infantry Division, from which they launched an attack on Omaha Beach in Normandy in 1944. Today, the concrete that remains provides a convenient picnic area.

The paths in the garden are named after the plants, animals or landmarks nearby, or after notable contributors to the estate

During the day we leave the waders and ice eaters to their fate and return to the lodge, knowing that we can return to the secret cove after the visitors have left.

Every night, as the light fades and the sky turns into a pink and orange blur, we find ourselves alone on the beach and going for a swim. It feels lazily decadent.

One evening, while floating in the water, a double-masted galley-like ship emerges from the Helford River.

‘Smugglers?’ I ask. “Or pirates?”

“You didn’t go back in time, you know,” my bewildered husband replies. Pampering sport.

I am momentarily transported to one of Thomas Buttersworth’s marine paintings.

After the dip, cold extremities are soothed by immersion in the lodge’s claw-foot tub, and we snuggle up in luxurious blankets scattered around the grounds as the night air turns crisp.

Above is the village of Helford Passage, home to The Ferry Boat Inn pub, which serves ‘delicious prawn tacos’ and has outdoor tables overlooking bobbing boats

Trebah Garden is open daily from 9:30 am. Entry is free for lodge guests and £16 for visitors

The kitchen has everything you need to prepare dinner, but a 15 minute walk to sample the food at The Ferry Boat Inn is a must.

Just up the Helford River in the village of Helford Passage, this waterfront gem has outdoor tables with views of bobbing sailboats and the convenient Helford Ferry – and it serves excellent shrimp tacos.

As I board our train home at Truro station, I feel like I’ve emerged from a lost kingdom.

On to the next 200 years of heavenly landscaping.