Owners of Millpool Grange at Cardinham have dedicated areas of their garden to provide a haven for their regular wildlife visitors, including deer, foxes, otters, herons, and kingfishers.

On Sunday 28^th July visitors will be able to see for themselves what has been done to encourage this wildlife when the garden opens to the public for Cornwall Wildlife Trust from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. Refreshments will be available with cream teas and beverages provided by Roddas, Berrymans, and Cornish Coffee. There will also be a plant stall. Well behaved dogs on leads are welcome.

When the owners moved into Millpool in 2016 the three and half acres of the garden was already well established with shrubs, trees, a meandering stream, two bridges, and a small lake. Their priority was to improve the drainage and naturalise the two waterfalls to encourage fish to move upstream. This hard work has resulted in a lake, meadow, dell, and woods which have now encouraged all manner of wildlife.

A delightful shady woodland garden, set in a deep valley near Bodmin, the stream has a series of cascades and pools, planted with azaleas and hydrangeas. There is a terraced semi-formal garden to the front of the house, and wooded walks down the streamside.

This is a pesticide-free garden, and there is an ongoing battle with Crocosmia and Elephant grass, but these do have their place in the garden particularly around the lake to provide shelter for the moorhens. There are also areas of wildflowers and in the spring bluebells.

Isabella Hawkes, Community Fundraising Officer for the Trust, says,

“The owners of Millpool have developed their property to provide a haven for wildlife as well as creating a beautiful garden. Visitors can see how this has been achieved and in doing so support the work the Trust does for the wildlife of Cornwall.”

To find Millpool Grange, from the A30 at Temple follow yellow AA signs to Millpool. On entering the village follow CWT signs to the car park at the Methodist Chapel. The garden is a short walk from the car park.

There is still time to visit gardens opening for the Trust this year with still two more on the calendar. They are: August 4^th Trenarth, High Cross, Constantine; September 1^st South Bosent, Dobwalls, Liskeard.