How can anyone resist the magical call of a garden called Tanglewood, even on a wet day?

And why is the Cornwall of my childhood a paradise of hot beach-day memories while the grown-up realisation is that the county is visited for its outdoor lifestyle rather than the actual, often damp, windswept weather?!

Image of woman in navy and white waterproofs holding hand of smiling toddler in red and pink waterproofs walking along wet pavement with stone houses and fisherman statue behind
Rain never stopped play for Kids of the Wild, even as a toddler!

We visited Cornwall recently on our annual ‘Grand Tour of the South,’ catching up with friends and family from Exmouth to Penzance. It seems the further north I move, the further south my people migrate. Nothing personal I hope!

It brings appreciation for my Midlands upbringing though, when it felt like the whole UK could be reached within 3 hours. Due to traffic this road trip took a total of 13 hours from Northumberland to North Cornwall… thank goodness for Wild Grandma and Gump to stay over with en-route!

Cornish capers

A damp midsummer Sunday found us hemmed indoors due to the seemingly ubiquitous Newlyn ‘murk’ (it’s a thing!), after a week’s camping fun near Treyarnon and then Perranporth with my best friend, her family and my fun-loving and ever-tolerant #nokids sibs!

This particular morning, after a well-deserved lie-in, I awoke dreaming of a chill-out day (a ‘dreckly day’ since the old Cornish word dreckly has something of a ‘manana’-ish tone in this neck of the woods!), snuggly armchairs in a cosy, dog-friendly Cornish cafe watching the sunny sea through mist-wet, salt stained windows…

Image of man and child standing near white railings overlooking outdoor lido with sea in background and grey misty sky
Jubilee cafe proceeds help fund Penzance’s Jubilee Pool outdoor lido

Penzance’s Jubilee Pool cafe isn’t quite that, though the windows were indeed wet and it is dog friendly. And actually the rigid-looking white plastic tub chairs were surprisingly and comment-worthily (is that a word?) comfortable. Delicious food and a tantalising selection of tray-bakes meant we were there for a couple of hours and ate food enough for 6! It was very grey outside though.

A hot chocolate and sunshine-buttered Saffron cake took me back to a not-so-murky family day out during a previous Grand Tour in 2016…

…when the sun was shining!

Into the whispering woods

Knowing my love of gardens and nature, Gran Mary (my Newlyn-born mother-in-law and aunt to a well-known Olympian), took us to visit Tanglewood Wild Gardens near St Just. What a wonderfully evocative name for a garden.

As you turn off the A3071, Tanglewood sort of appears from nowhere, and feels like you’re going nowhere. Quite exciting, like entering another world.

Parking is amongst trees and it’s a steep, rooty walk through whispering woodland down to the main garden area. This is unsuitable for wheelchairs but is probably okay with a small pram or buggy if you can carry it down with a babe in arms.

There is mischief at large in the woods though…

2Image of girl in blue top squatting by trees with a fairy door in the trunk in a wood holding a brown teddy who is chopping with a mini axe

..look out for mini-axe wielding Cornish Piskies as you walk down the hill!

Organised wildness

Tanglewood Wild Garden is cleverly laid out to give the impression it was designed by nature when in fact years of hard labour have gone into it’s creation. Nine acres of land were cleared, planted and lakes dug to produce a tranquil wilderness where you can completely disconnect from the real world.

As well as being a haven for all sorts of wildlife, look out for unicorns, giant spiders, dwarves, art, poetry and even the dead. You’ve been warned…

It’s perfect for a picnic and at weekends there is a snack hut so you could easily spend a whole day relaxing, moving from spot to spot as the moment takes you. There wasn’t another soul in sight when we visited.

We ambled for a couple of hours immersed in nature, making lots of quirky and intriguing discoveries. I don’t want to say much more as it really is a place of wonder best experienced first hand. Here are a few photos of our enchanted exploration.

Image of wooden unicorn's head sticking out of leafy bushes
Image of man in red T-shirt and brown trousers pretending to be a zombie with collar and chain around neck attached to standing stone
Image of girl in blue shorts and T-shirt crossing wooden bridge amongst a jungle of foliage
Image of man in red T-shirt lying in giant red deckchair in front of hedge
Image of girl in blue T-shirt and shorts with ponytail sitting in grass holding hands with a giant wooden mole peeping from the earth
Image of girl in blue T-shirt and shorts sitting on wooden swing under tree in woods
Image of girl with worried look on face standing in front of giant spiders web between trees in shady woodland
Image of girl in blue clothing standing behind tree trunk trying to pull out a giant axe

The added extras at Tanglewood are charming and from their website it looks as though there are more than when we visited – but don’t check online, go and find out for yourself.

Tanglewood visitor information

2025 Opening hours

Good Friday to the end of September

Daily except Wednesdays 10am to 5.30pm (last entry 4pm)

Are dogs allowed at Tanglewood Gardens? All dogs allowed, please keep on a lead, bring poo bags

Prices

  • Adults £16.00
  • Children 5-16 yrs £3.00
  • Children under 5 FREE

Cash preferred, card acceptable.

For more information visit Tanglewood online

Image of standing skeleton wearing a cap and wellies pushing an old lawnmower on grass with bushes behind
He obviously liked it to much too leave!

More outdoor inspiration

Check out our kids gardening pages or find inspiration for other garden visits, family visits and more outdoor time on Kids of the Wild!

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Wild wishes for more magical garden visits full of wonder!