RARE BREEDS WEEKENDS at THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN
Heligan Home Farms’ Livestock Team are getting ready to be able to celebrate and highlight all the rare breed residents who call Heligan their home.
This September, join us at The Lost Gardens for a variety of displays, demonstrations and talks, where you will get the opportunity to enjoy and learn more about these very important animals and the role they have within our historical landscape at Heligan.
It all started over 30 years ago, not long after Tim Smit and his family had relocated to Cornwall, when the family’s first trip to the county’s Royal Cornwall Show turned into a pivotal moment. They spent most of the day captivated by the rare breeds tent and its inhabitants and not long after that they rehomed two pot-bellied pigs, Horace and Doris. It was the start of a lifelong love affair of rare breed pigs for Tim and inspired him to want to create a rare breeds farm in Cornwall.
Whilst searching for land to home his vision of a rare breeds park, Tim came across the Gardens and Estate at Heligan. The discovery of the gardeners’ names on the wall of the Thunderbox Room along with the date 1914, changed the course of travel and Tim was fired by a passion to restore The Gardens. The Lost Gardens of Heligan has gone on to become Europe’s largest garden restoration as well as the ‘’Nation’s Favourite Garden’.
Each week will focus on a different livestock animal, culminating in weekends jam-packed with displays, demonstrations, and talks.
Saturday 10th – Sunday 11th September is Pig weekend
Say hello to a wide variety of visiting native and rare breed pigs on display in the barn. Chat with their owners to find out all about each unique breed, and vote for your favourite!
Saturday 17th – Sunday 18th September is Woolly weekend
Visit a selection of native and rare breed sheep on display in the barn, and chat with their owners from local farms to find out all about each unique breed.
Stop and watch some traditional woollen crafters demonstrating the many wonderful uses of wool, from cleaning and carding to spinning, weaving and dyeing.
Join us on East Lawn on Sunday 18th September for the second of our twice-annual shearing demonstrations. Learn more about our local breed, the Devon and Cornwall Longwool, and what we do with all that wool!
Saturday 24th- Sunday 25th September is Working Horse weekend
In partnership with Cornwall Heavy Horse society, we are excited to present a rich programme of demonstrations from native working horses and ponies.
Join us at Home Farm and around the whole Estate to see working heavy horses, different tack and equipment, and of course catch a glimpse of our famous Concours d’elegance as they tour the estate in their beautiful riding attire.
It’s not just the weekends though, throughout the month there will be lots of exciting tours and activities on offer- why not take a guided tour of the farm and estate.
Families, pick up an activity booklet and hunt around the paddocks and estate to find the answers to all your rare breed questions.
Tickets Adults £22.50
Children 9-17 £9.50
Infants Free
