0:00:04 > 0:00:07Britain has some of the finest gardens anywhere in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11For me it's about getting in amongst the wonderful plants that flourish
0:00:11 > 0:00:15'in this country and sharing the passion of the people who tend them.'
0:00:17 > 0:00:20However there is another way to enjoy a garden.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27And that's to get up above it.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31I love ballooning
0:00:31 > 0:00:35because you can get to see the world below in a whole new light.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38From up here you get a real sense of how the garden
0:00:38 > 0:00:42sits in the landscape, how the terrain and the climate
0:00:42 > 0:00:46has shaped it and I want you to share that experience with me.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14I'm heading for a part of the UK that's always had a very
0:01:14 > 0:01:16special place in my heart.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22And I'm not alone in loving this particular landscape.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24In a national poll to find the best views in Britain,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27this county easily came out on top.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Today, I'm taking to the skies above Cornwall.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41In the far South West of Great Britain, Cornwall sticks
0:01:41 > 0:01:44out like a finger into the Atlantic Ocean.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47In the North of the county,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50high exposed granite, pasture land
0:01:50 > 0:01:51and arable areas.
0:01:51 > 0:01:58But with 400 miles of coastline, Cornwall is perhaps
0:01:58 > 0:02:02best-loved for its caves, its coves and its wonderful sandy beaches.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09The beauty and bounty of Cornwall has always drawn people to the county.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Artists visit for the fabulous light.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Chefs for the mouth-watering seafood.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17And me? I'm just after one thing.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23I'm here to see its fantastic gardens.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30And I'm taking to the air to get a whole new view of glorious Cornwall.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Today I'm visiting two gardens that flourish in the unique
0:02:38 > 0:02:40conditions found in Cornwall.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46It's a county where plants appear to have come from a lost world.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51It just feels like going back to being a dinosaur.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Where I have to take gardening to an exciting level.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55You're a star. Well done.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58And where everyone pitches in to get the job done with
0:02:58 > 0:03:00a sense of Cornish pride.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Cornish, innit? Handsome.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10From up here you can see how varied the landscape of Cornwall is.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13You've got fertile valleys, these beautiful patchwork of fields,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15surrounded by hedges
0:03:15 > 0:03:20and the slightly undulating softness that makes Cornwall Cornwall.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I'm going to be setting down close to one of my favourite
0:03:27 > 0:03:28gardens in the UK.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Trebah covers 26 acres and it's the cream of Cornwall.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39It's chock full of plants that get my pulse racing.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44Trebah sits on the North bank of the Helford River
0:03:44 > 0:03:48and it always reminds me of having a paint-pot of plants
0:03:48 > 0:03:53and I just want to pour it down the valley to the sea.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56There's that sense of adventure, foaming trees,
0:03:56 > 0:04:02spectacular plantings. For me, my favourite Cornish valley garden.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Trebah is world famous for the fabulous exotic plants that
0:04:13 > 0:04:16thrive here, thanks to the unique Cornish climate.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21The Gulf Stream brings warm wet weather across the ocean from
0:04:21 > 0:04:26the Caribbean, and Cornwall is one of the sunniest counties in the UK.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32Put those two things together and the result is a garden paradise.
0:04:35 > 0:04:41Trebah, the most magical Cornish sub-tropical valley that I know.
0:04:41 > 0:04:48Full of froth and excitement and a sense of adventure.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52It's a combination of the sea, the pond, the flowing blue
0:04:52 > 0:04:57hydrangeas up the valley to that most amazing gunnera plantation.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03I've never been here and left without being wildly excited
0:05:03 > 0:05:08and it is the magic of the place that makes it Trebah.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14The garden was created in the late 1830s by a man called
0:05:14 > 0:05:19Charles Fox, who came from a wealthy local shipping family.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26He was an amateur scientist with a huge passion for exotic trees and plants.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33The current Head Gardener, Darren Dickey, has lived in Cornwall
0:05:33 > 0:05:34since he was a child.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37He's been working here at Trebah for over 20 years
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and has been in charge since 2002.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46I'm meeting him at the top of the garden where he's adding
0:05:46 > 0:05:49a new exotic specimen to Trebah's collection.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- Hi.- Hi, Christine. - Nice to meet you, Darren. - Nice to meet you.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- So what are you doing here? - We're actually going for a new introduction for Trebah.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01This is a Schefflera. We've always tried to do something a little
0:06:01 > 0:06:04bit different and this is a sort of a new exotic addition to the garden.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- Can I give you a hand planting it then? - Of course you can, yeah.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Oh, look at this.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Fantastic, isn't it?
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Oh, this is nice, isn't it, yes. Schefflera alpina.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Scheffleras are also known as umbrella plants
0:06:17 > 0:06:20and this one comes from South East Asia.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Let's dig this hole. It's lovely soil.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28I mean, God, you could almost sprinkle it on your cornflakes.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33It's lovely, and look, I mean just ideal.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37But what makes Trebah so special for you?
0:06:37 > 0:06:42For me, you've obviously got the sort of natural micro-climate of the garden.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44It's very close to the Helford Estuary, the sea,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47so you've obviously got the benefit of the Gulf Stream.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Also we have very mild winters and so you get this fantastic
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- sort of lush growth, the season goes on for longer.- Yeah.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57And the other great thing we have, very fortunately, we have lovely sort of water features
0:06:57 > 0:07:00leading all the way down through and then the ultimate water
0:07:00 > 0:07:02feature with the beach at the bottom of the garden. So we have our
0:07:02 > 0:07:05own private beach where people can come and enjoy, spend the day, have
0:07:05 > 0:07:09an ice cream and enjoy the beautiful clear waters of the Helford.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12'But there's no chance of a sit-down and a rest for me.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14'Not when there's a plant to get in.'
0:07:14 > 0:07:19..And preferably obviously if you can loosen
0:07:19 > 0:07:22the soil up below so that it's got a chance to establish.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Pickaxe, dynamite?
0:07:25 > 0:07:27- Yeah. - What do you fancy?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Well it's funny, there's lovely stories about years ago
0:07:30 > 0:07:32that in the Cornish gardens, one way of getting
0:07:32 > 0:07:35rid of stumps in the garden, they used to set dynamite on them.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37- Blow 'em out. - And blow them out.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Yeah, aye, I know. Such a shame about health and safety these days, isn't it?
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Because you imagine, "boom", out comes a tree trunk,
0:07:44 > 0:07:45as a visitor goes by.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- Taken away all the fun. - Yeah.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Do you want to give that a go? - Yeah, let's see where we are.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- That's looking pretty good. - Yeah.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02When Charles Fox was stocking up his back garden in Victorian times,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04he brought exotic plants
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and shrubs like these back from abroad in his family's ships.
0:08:12 > 0:08:18There, that looks all right. This is one, I want to see some other new introductions.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Today some of Charles Fox's original trees still tower over the garden.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And what I want to know, Darren is,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32how on earth did he know where to put these fantastic trees?
0:08:32 > 0:08:35You know, he was putting in little things like that.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38It was interesting. There's a story that goes that he would
0:08:38 > 0:08:42create scaffold towers around the garden to the eventual height
0:08:42 > 0:08:45so that he could then get the scaffold towers positioned
0:08:45 > 0:08:48around the garden, so that he knew just whether they would block
0:08:48 > 0:08:51the view down through the valley, how they'd fit into the landscape.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53So once the tower was obviously positioned,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56he'd send the sort of young lad up, the youngest of the team probably,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59clambering to the top with a little flag and they'd wave the flag and
0:08:59 > 0:09:02he'd stand up at the house, "To the left a bit, right a bit."
0:09:02 > 0:09:07Those gardener's boys might not have enjoyed being sent up scaffolding
0:09:07 > 0:09:11to see the garden from up high, but I think seeing Trebah from above
0:09:11 > 0:09:16is a fantastic way to appreciate how the garden nestles in to its valley.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21There are four miles of footpaths winding down through the garden.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Streams and cascades fill the air with the sound of falling water.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29The bamboos whisper.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32And the wind swirls through the leaves of the tree ferns
0:09:32 > 0:09:33and grasses.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Meanwhile the valley meanders 80 metres from its top
0:09:38 > 0:09:40down to the beach below.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44The garden leads down on to the Helford River,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48which opens into an estuary and flows out to the sea.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Trebah first opened to the public in 1987.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Since then one of the main draws of the 100,000 annual
0:09:58 > 0:10:01visitors is the wonderful Hydrangea Valley.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12In the wild, hydrangeas are found in Asia and in North and South America.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15The hydrangeas at Trebah are native to China and Japan.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19These flowers are mainly a glorious blue
0:10:19 > 0:10:22because the soil here is acidic.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26If the soil's alkaline, hydrangeas produce pink flowers.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Some hydrangeas thrive in shade and they love rain and hate frost.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33No wonder they do so well here.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39But if you think the hydrangeas are outsized just wait
0:10:39 > 0:10:42until you see another plant that the garden is famous for.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44It's a monster.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48This is the Gunnera Passage, lined with towering plants
0:10:48 > 0:10:52that are also known as Giant Brazilian Rhubarb.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54They always bring out the kid in me.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58I mean it's just awesome.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02It's twice my height and the leaves are twice as big as I am.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05So how the heck, you know, how, how do you look after it?
0:11:05 > 0:11:08It's one of those plants that pretty much looks after itself,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11but from time to time we have to get in here, this time
0:11:11 > 0:11:14of year, in the summer, and just trim off some of the leaves as they
0:11:14 > 0:11:17collapse down over. and some of the dead leaves, just to tidy it up.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19But once we get through into October and it all starts to
0:11:19 > 0:11:23die back, we'll get in there and literally take the whole lot down.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28So this just erupts in the spring, producing these fantastic flowers.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32And then just withers away at the back end.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33But look, look at it.
0:11:33 > 0:11:39I mean, frothy, man, frothy. I want to be a dinosaur.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Because it just feels like going back to being a dinosaur.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47I mean it is a truly magnificent plant.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Come on, let's go and do a bit, let's sort it out.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56The leaves of gunnera can grow up to two and a half metres wide.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- It's a bit Indiana Jones in here. - Great.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02We're just going to chop them off with a machete, just tidy them up.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05We'll just use them just as a little sort of bit of a cover...
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- Machete? - ..for the shoots.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Yeah it's a bit brutal looking,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11but always good fun for the gardeners.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14- So, if you want to hold on to the step.- Yeah, OK.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- I'm just going to take it off down here.- OK.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Like so.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20So, do you want to have a go at chopping that one?
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Yeah. Whoa! You see, this is the exciting bit.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Way-hay! Look at that. Watch your legs.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Oh, chop that bit off, make it tidy.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Right. How many more can we do? I'm on a roll.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Come on, let's have this one off.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Hang on, let's... There we go.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41Right here.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I think it's a fantastic job. Gunnera chopper-er.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47Believe it or not,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51by next year these huge plants will have grown right back again.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Absolutely amazing to be able to chop it from underneath.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58- Thanks so much. Come on. - Well, thank you for your help.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59Let's have a wander.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The Gunnera Valley at Trebah might look like a crazy jungle,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08but it's as carefully cultivated as the rest of the garden.
0:13:11 > 0:13:12The balmy Cornish climate
0:13:12 > 0:13:16and fantastic soil make for great growing conditions.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18But you do have to keep on top of the pruning
0:13:18 > 0:13:22and weeding or things can get quickly get out of hand.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31Just up the coast from Trebah, is the ancient harbour of Penryn.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34On the edge of the town there's an area of fields
0:13:34 > 0:13:37and woodlands that should be great for everyone to enjoy.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40But over the years, it's become unloved,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43overgrown and a bit of a dumping ground.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49A group of locals are giving up their free time to tidy this community space.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56We've got lots of jobs to do today.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Pip Carlton-Barnes is the driving force behind the plans to
0:14:00 > 0:14:03transform the wilderness into a green wonderland.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06The ultimate aim is to keep it clean,
0:14:06 > 0:14:11usable and a lovely place for anyone to come and visit.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14'Who wouldn't want to walk out their front door and listen to the'
0:14:14 > 0:14:18birds, have a game of football with the kids and just generally relax?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Today, Pip and her team are going to be battling the brambles
0:14:22 > 0:14:26and clearing the corner of the woodland and river.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29By the end of today, if we can have this area clear, it's a
0:14:29 > 0:14:33usable space, then I think that will be a day's work well done, really.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Some of the volunteers remember playing around here as youngsters.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It used to be full of children playing, messing around,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46just being children basically and having lots and lots of fun,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49and that's what we want for everybody else in this community.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52And getting stuck into the clean-up today are Barnaby
0:14:52 > 0:14:53and his dad.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57I come down with my friends.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59We build dens. We play hide and seek.
0:14:59 > 0:15:06'If we clear it up more, maybe more people could come and visit'
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and see what the wildlife is here.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13The woods are not just a place to learn about nature.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Underneath a layer of leaves,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17they're uncovering the town's history.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21I think that's tile mosaic that.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25I reckon that's the bottom part of a swimming pool or a paddling pool
0:15:25 > 0:15:27that used to be here.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- Have I done good, have I?- I think you've done really good, mate. You've done a super job, mate.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Whatever it turns out to be,
0:15:33 > 0:15:38someone once cared enough about the woods to build this here.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41With luck, in years to come, the locals will still appreciate
0:15:41 > 0:15:43this place just as much.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46It's a big project.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50It's not going to happen overnight and we all appreciate that.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56We all work, we all give up our time, so, it's a long project.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58But we will get there. We will, we're all determined.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04It's fantastic what the gang has achieved in just one day.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I don't think it'll be long before the sound of kids having fun
0:16:09 > 0:16:12rings around these fields once again.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Imagine what it would be like to grow up with
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Trebah as your own personal playground.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27That's Marcus' story.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31When he was a child, his father was the head gardener here.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35But unlike today, the garden wasn't open to the public back then.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41It was a private garden, it was a private house.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46So consequently, it was a secret that was shared by very few people.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47I was one of them.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51In the eyes of a seven-year-old boy it was paradise
0:16:51 > 0:16:56and day after day I would entertain myself by running around wildly,
0:16:56 > 0:17:01looking at the wildlife and sitting on the beach throwing stones.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02Doesn't get better when you're seven.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09Marcus left Cornwall when he grew up but returned after retiring.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13He decided to seek out the place he remembered from childhood
0:17:13 > 0:17:16and now works here one day a week as a volunteer gardener
0:17:17 > 0:17:20There may be a better place in the world somewhere,
0:17:20 > 0:17:21but if there is, I've never been to it.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26- Hi, Marcus. - Hello, Christine.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you, too.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30So describe the atmosphere,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34paint a picture of a seven-year-old racing around Trebah.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Well, I can only sort of describe it as unfettered fun
0:17:38 > 0:17:42because if you imagine the mind of a seven-year-old,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45all of this can be anything you want at any time.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47And what was it to you?
0:17:47 > 0:17:53I was a hiding place, it was a fortress, it was a castle,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55it was all sorts of things.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57What about as an adult?
0:17:57 > 0:18:05As an adult, I obviously have chosen to volunteer here and what the
0:18:05 > 0:18:11garden gives to me now is not only an opportunity to relive those
0:18:11 > 0:18:15memories of childhood, but also to do something practical towards it.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19The time that I spent actually growing up here,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22has obviously imprinted my heart with Trebah
0:18:22 > 0:18:26and so consequently it is a joy to actually put something back.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28And what do you actually do as a volunteer?
0:18:28 > 0:18:32I actually enjoy speaking with people, the visitors to Trebah,
0:18:32 > 0:18:37because I'm always absolutely amazed to hear their comments.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Everybody that you speak to just can't believe anything about it.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46It's all too lovely and it's just spectacular to actually
0:18:46 > 0:18:49see them as they enjoy the garden.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53If you were to describe it and the atmosphere,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56what would you say about this garden?
0:18:56 > 0:19:00I would say that this view down the valley takes some
0:19:00 > 0:19:04beating in comparison to anything else the world has to offer.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08If you can imagine, the shape of the valley lends itself perfectly
0:19:08 > 0:19:11to noise and it sort of surrounds you.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15It's a bit like when you hear on the television of being
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- in the jungle, where you've got sounds all around you.- Yes.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22It's that sort of experience. It's entirely encapsulating.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26I think you're a remarkably lucky chap, you know.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Well, I must say that I have to agree with you on that.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33It was a childhood unlike many others, I must say.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Mm, quite magical. I think we'd best get some gardening done.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38I think so too.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47At the very end of Trebah Gardens, Marcus' beloved valley opens
0:19:47 > 0:19:52out into the Helford River, the estuary and the sea.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56It's a peaceful place down here today with just the lapping of the
0:19:56 > 0:20:00river and the calls of the sea birds disturbing the tranquillity.
0:20:02 > 0:20:07But 70 years ago, the beach echoed to a very different soundtrack.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Although it's 200 miles from the coast to Normandy,
0:20:10 > 0:20:16in 1944 Trebah played its part in the events of D-Day.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Sylvia was a just a child when the Yanks came to town.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24When the troops came through the village,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28the noise was the main thing, kept coming through in the daytime
0:20:28 > 0:20:34and several ladies, they took out cups of tea to the sentries
0:20:34 > 0:20:37that were standing by the roadside and they were told to go back
0:20:37 > 0:20:40indoors and not have anything to do with any of the troops at all.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45In May 1943, more than 7,000
0:20:45 > 0:20:49soldiers from the 29th US Infantry Division arrived in Cornwall
0:20:49 > 0:20:54to prepare for Operation Overlord, the invasion of France.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58The cove at Trebah had been carefully
0:20:58 > 0:21:00chosen for the embarkation.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03The river bed drops sharply away, just off the beach,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05meaning boats can get close in.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08The American troops set about widening
0:21:08 > 0:21:11the road down to the shore, laying down hard standing,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14and building jetties in readiness for leaving for France.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17All under Sylvia's curious eyes.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24They were building a pier at Trebah Beach and one day we were
0:21:24 > 0:21:28sitting, we were playing on the beach, and suddenly these aeroplanes
0:21:28 > 0:21:33swooped up the river and started, we thought they were fireworks,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36but apparently they were shooting at the men that were building the pier.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39We thought it was very exciting and we were most upset
0:21:39 > 0:21:43when our parents came and shouted for us to come indoors.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47The troops spent a year preparing the site
0:21:47 > 0:21:49and training for D-Day, and Sylvia
0:21:49 > 0:21:54and her friends found themselves with a new playground to explore.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Well, the soldiers, they did camp at Bosveal crossroads,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01under the trees, and so children used to go
0:22:01 > 0:22:04and wander round the camps and the soldiers were very kind.
0:22:04 > 0:22:10They would give us chewing gum and sweets and for us girls, it sounds
0:22:10 > 0:22:15funny, but they would give us thick wool and knitting needles because
0:22:15 > 0:22:18we didn't have wool and knitting needles during the war. So trying
0:22:18 > 0:22:23to learn to knit when you were a child, it was wonderful to have wool. They were very kind.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28But on the first of June 1944,
0:22:28 > 0:22:34as swiftly as they'd arrived, the soldiers were gone.
0:22:34 > 0:22:40Suddenly, one day, one morning, we woke up and there was nothing,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43nothing at all on the river.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47It was as quiet as a millpond, no sound.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51It was very eerie. Just as if you had imagined it.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56The men of the 29th Infantry Division joined
0:22:56 > 0:22:59the assault on Omaha Beach in Normandy.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05By the end of D-Day, the 6th June,
0:23:05 > 0:23:10over 2,500 Americans lay dead on that beach alone.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20There's now a memorial on the shore at Trebah to the men who
0:23:20 > 0:23:22gave their lives that day.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27And Sylvia will never forget how a peaceful stretch of Cornish
0:23:27 > 0:23:30river played such an important part in British history.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35We thought it would never happen down here because we
0:23:35 > 0:23:37were so far away from France down here.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40We thought it was just a practice run.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44We had no idea that it was the real thing, until afterwards.
0:23:54 > 0:23:5720 miles from Trebah as the balloon flies,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00there's another connection to Normandy here in Cornwall.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12After the Norman conquest in 1066, the island of St Michael's Mount
0:24:12 > 0:24:15was given to the French monastery of Mont Saint-Michel.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20The monks built a priory on top and for centuries,
0:24:20 > 0:24:21it was a place of pilgrimage.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25The monks are long gone
0:24:25 > 0:24:28but St Michael's Mount is still a thriving island community.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Now the 30 permanent residents welcome over
0:24:33 > 0:24:36a quarter of a million visitors a year.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Most of them come to see the fairy-tale castle,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44but then discover the wonderful gardens.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Exotic species flourish here even though they're clinging to
0:24:48 > 0:24:51a piece of granite, lashed by Atlantic winds.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57Assistant head gardener Darren Little has long called this
0:24:57 > 0:24:59corner of Cornwall home.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05So you're a local lad, Darren, but what brought you to the Mount?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07My parents lived on the island, so I was sort of born
0:25:07 > 0:25:10and brought up on the island from a very young age.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- What was it like as a youngster? - Brilliant really.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15I mean you've got all the sea around you, you've got a lot of activities.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18You've got your canoeing, your kayaking, your sailing,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21your swimming, your fishing, and I've got young children
0:25:21 > 0:25:23and they're sort of following in my footsteps
0:25:23 > 0:25:26if you like and sort of doing what I used to do as a child over here.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31After growing up on the Mount, and working here since 2000,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Darren knows the gardens better than anyone.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36The island itself is made up of three sort of main areas.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39We've got the northern side of the island, which is
0:25:39 > 0:25:41all your sort of heavier evergreen shrub planting.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44We've got the southeastern side of the island which
0:25:44 > 0:25:45we call our sub-tropical gardens.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Then we've got the western side of the island which is more
0:25:48 > 0:25:49sort of barren cliff faces
0:25:49 > 0:25:52and rocky outcrops with coastal paths running through.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55So what are the challenges?
0:25:55 > 0:25:58It is sort of gardening on the edge.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00We're open to the elements with the salt spray
0:26:00 > 0:26:01coming up onto the gardens.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04We work with weather conditions, so if it's a howling northerly
0:26:04 > 0:26:07wind, we can work on the southern side of the island.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10If we've got extreme temperatures in the gardens because they get
0:26:10 > 0:26:13very hot we can work in the shade on the northern side of the island.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14We try and push our boundaries
0:26:14 > 0:26:17and grow things that other people can't grow within the gardens.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Today, Darren and his team are going to be putting in some plants
0:26:22 > 0:26:25which are particularly suited to these coastal conditions.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Some wonderful succulents.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Succulents form a huge group of plants.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40They can be big like these agaves
0:26:40 > 0:26:43or ground-hugging like these echeverias.
0:26:43 > 0:26:44They do best in hot,
0:26:44 > 0:26:49dry conditions and conserve water in their thick fleshy leaves or stems.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Many don't need much soil to grow and will thrive in cracks and crevices.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00If you don't have the right conditions to grow them outside,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02they also make great house plants.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Looking at St Michael's Mount,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11you'd think the succulents have sprung up naturally.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13In fact, they've been carefully planned
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and planted as the rest of the castle gardens.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21But some of these cliffs are over 25 metres high.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Every couple of months Darren
0:27:25 > 0:27:28and his team need to check for loose rocks and to plant up new specimens.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33When I offered to help, I knew I'd have to be ready for anything.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36It's not too far, look.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39I think you'll be fine once you get over the edge.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41- Give it a go. - Right, let's go.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Just watch the...
0:28:01 > 0:28:06'Ooh, the things gardeners have to do to make a garden grow.'
0:28:07 > 0:28:11- So, watch how you're going, OK? Are you happy? - Yeah.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Let some tension come on to that rope and you'll feel nice and secure then.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Keep going, keep going.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23So just walk down the cliff face?
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Right, just walk down the cliff face now. Now you're safe.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28You're a star, well done.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31This might seem crazy,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34but it's all part of the great master plan for the Mount.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39The gardens are what we call grown vertical.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41We've always concentrated on the gardens itself
0:28:41 > 0:28:43but we've got all these unique cliff faces.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45But you could have millions of plants.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48We could and we probably will.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51And it'd be fascinating to come back in say ten years' time,
0:28:51 > 0:28:55to just see how many different species you've got growing.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Yes, well even in five years' time, hopefully, we'll just...
0:28:58 > 0:28:59Well quite, yeah.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03'Blimey, I'd best get on and do my bit.'
0:29:05 > 0:29:07So I've got a nice little planting pocket there.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Well quite a big... It's as big as my fist,
0:29:09 > 0:29:11so let's get something in there.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- let's see...- Can I just pass you the trowel back, before we drop it?
0:29:14 > 0:29:17This one's Aeonium balsamiferum.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Oh, right, great. Look at that.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Ho-ho, let's give this a new home.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Right. Get it in there, Little. Look at that.
0:29:24 > 0:29:25Go on, look at that.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27She looks like she's been there for years.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29There we go, look at that, lovely.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32- Fantastic. - Right.
0:29:32 > 0:29:33I mean this is amazing.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36I've never done this before. Certainly not planted up,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39the side of a wall. Or cliff face, really, isn't it?
0:29:39 > 0:29:43- I'm going to put that in there... - There we go, that'll look lovely in there. Nice aeonium.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45- Look, yeah.- Going in. - Right. Hey look.
0:29:45 > 0:29:46There we go.
0:29:47 > 0:29:53- That looks quite pretty actually.- It does. And you'll... Once these obviously get a lot larger
0:29:53 > 0:29:56and they stand out against the cliff face, they'll look lovely, you know,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59with the natural granite behind and the very dark purple.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02I'm glad I had the guts to do this because
0:30:02 > 0:30:04the view is just stupendous.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07It's lovely, isn't it? You can't get a better office than this. This is my office.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10First time I've abseiled, so this is quite something,
0:30:10 > 0:30:13quite chuffed. And I'll be able to mark this spot.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Shall I be a rebel and put CW? CW was here.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19I think we should go down a bit, descend
0:30:19 > 0:30:22and I think it's cup of tea time, do you know?
0:30:22 > 0:30:24- Do you not?- That sounds good. - Brew time.- Lovely.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Let's drop out of here.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31I think I've earned a drink after spending an afternoon abseiling.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35But I really hope I get the opportunity to do this again.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Just down the coast from St Michael's Mount is another
0:30:42 > 0:30:44stunning cliff-top creation.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48This is the spectacular Minack Theatre.
0:30:52 > 0:30:57Every season the Minack stages 16 different productions,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59a new one every week throughout the summer.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01The theatre is now one of the top tourist
0:31:01 > 0:31:03attractions in the south-west.
0:31:03 > 0:31:09But the story of its creation is as remarkable as its setting.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14It was the life work of one extraordinary woman, Rowena Cade,
0:31:14 > 0:31:19who built it entirely by hand with the help of her faithful gardeners.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Rowena was born in 1893 to a family who loved dressing up
0:31:23 > 0:31:26and putting on plays.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31She moved to Cornwall with her mother after her father died.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34She bought this headland and built a home here.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Rowena was rich enough not to have to work
0:31:39 > 0:31:42but she needed something to do.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Her life changed in 1931 when she built a clifftop stage for
0:31:46 > 0:31:51the local amateur dramatics group to use for a production of The Tempest.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Zoe Curnow first came to work at the Minack as a student
0:31:57 > 0:31:59and is now the general manager.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02She takes up Rowena's story.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05It would have been really hard physical work to create what
0:32:05 > 0:32:09was essentially a fairly wild cliff gully into the flat stage area
0:32:09 > 0:32:11and the roughly terraced seating,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14which was the precursor of what we now see today.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16They would have been moving granite around,
0:32:16 > 0:32:20they would have been carrying wheelbarrows of rock to fill in gullies and to level off surfaces.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Apparently the only thing they managed to lose was one
0:32:23 > 0:32:25wheelbarrow, over down into the sea.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27There was an article in The Times,
0:32:27 > 0:32:31at the time, about the production and I think all of that together
0:32:31 > 0:32:34led Rowena to think about actually this could actually be something
0:32:34 > 0:32:37that we could try again next year and going forward into the future.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Over the next 60 years, Rowena put all her time,
0:32:41 > 0:32:45effort and her own money into her theatre.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49She even salvaged timbers that had washed up on the beach
0:32:49 > 0:32:52and carried them up the cliff single-handed.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56It's just such an unusual place.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58People come and look at the site and they're,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01they just can't believe that this was actually, you know, built,
0:33:01 > 0:33:05financed effectively, by just the one determined lady, Rowena Cade.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10This is the fifth summer that actor
0:33:10 > 0:33:14and storyteller Craig Johnson has brought a show to the Minack.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17You have local people but you also have people on holiday,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20and from all different countries,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23so you've got this brilliant mixed audience of ages. For a lot
0:33:23 > 0:33:27of them, you can see in their faces, they've never seen anything
0:33:27 > 0:33:30like this before, so it's a really amazing place, I think, to come to.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34For these kids, a trip to the Minack could inspire a lifetime's
0:33:34 > 0:33:38love of the theatre, and it's all down to the life's
0:33:38 > 0:33:43work of one single-minded woman, Rowena Cade.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54It's nearly the end of my time in Cornwall
0:33:54 > 0:33:57and I've come back to Trebah to have a last stroll through
0:33:57 > 0:34:01the garden with head gardener, Darren, and volunteer, Marcus.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06'Marcus spent many happy years here as a child
0:34:06 > 0:34:10'when Trebah was a private house. His dad was the head gardener who
0:34:10 > 0:34:14'worked so hard to create one of my favourite parts of the garden.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18Marcus, your dad planted these amazing hydrangeas.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20Are you proud of that?
0:34:20 > 0:34:22I'm very proud of that.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Each and every time that I walk down the valley, I'm reminded
0:34:25 > 0:34:30of that particular time and I can, even now in my mind's eye, see
0:34:30 > 0:34:33him actually planting some of these hydrangeas in these very spots.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38You left Cornwall and you came back,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41but what does Cornwall really mean to you?
0:34:41 > 0:34:46Cornwall is my home and I have travelled elsewhere.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51I've spent time in London and in Devon, but Cornwall has
0:34:51 > 0:34:55always seemed like home to me and never more so than now, really.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Darren, what I want to know is,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00how are you going to move the garden forward?
0:35:00 > 0:35:03How are you going to use it? Are you going to develop it?
0:35:03 > 0:35:06I think it's always very important to remember that the garden
0:35:06 > 0:35:08is there for the visitors, so it's important to sort
0:35:08 > 0:35:13of develop different themes and also do more with things like theatre.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16We've just built a new amphitheatre and we're doing various
0:35:16 > 0:35:18different performances that we'll do throughout the year.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21We can have some of the trees lit up,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24we can do sort of walks in the autumn, to see the autumn colour.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27So seeing the garden in a different light I think is always great
0:35:27 > 0:35:29and obviously sound in the garden is always such a major feature
0:35:29 > 0:35:33and highlighting your senses, I think.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Both Darren and Marcus have reminded me how important it is to
0:35:37 > 0:35:41enjoy a garden with your ears as well as your eyes.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Whether it's water tumbling over a cascade,
0:35:44 > 0:35:48wind whispering through the leaves or the calling of birdsong,
0:35:48 > 0:35:52in a garden we're surrounded by nature's symphony.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55And I want to create a lasting musical memory for the people
0:35:55 > 0:35:59I've met here at Trebah.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01To help me out,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04I've been in touch with a very special group of Cornishmen.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07These are the singers from the Treverva male voice choir,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10one of the oldest and best in the county.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14And you know we're going to start with warm-up, don't you.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Oh, yeah, you get that, right.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Just as in Wales, the Cornish choirs have links with the mining industry.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22But here, they were digging for tin, not coal.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Tin was first found in Cornwall rivers 2,000 years ago.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32By the 19th century, the mines stretched deep underground
0:36:32 > 0:36:36and Cornwall became the biggest producer of tin in the world.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39And each mine had its own male voice choir.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46The tin seams eventually gave out and the last tin mine
0:36:46 > 0:36:48closed in 1998.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52But the choirs have carried on their musical traditions
0:36:52 > 0:36:57and today they attract members of all ages and from all walks of life.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03Norman Hyde, the longest-standing member, knows why a song underground
0:37:03 > 0:37:06was so important for the original founders of the choir.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11The miners, I mean, they'd go down their mine, they would
0:37:11 > 0:37:15get in the lift and have to go down hundreds and hundreds of feet and,
0:37:15 > 0:37:20of course, they would start singing as they went down, more or less to...
0:37:20 > 0:37:23well, cheer their self up because it wasn't a good way to live.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30THEY SING
0:37:30 > 0:37:33I mean, they were like rats in holes down there to start.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35It's not like today's mining,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37where you go in a place that's ten- foot high.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41Down there then, they were down on their hands and knees
0:37:41 > 0:37:46and I think that the music and singing together just
0:37:46 > 0:37:49carried them through, through the hard part of life.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56The choir is rehearsing one of the most famous Cornish songs, The White Rose.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58And it's one that means a lot to Norman.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02One verse starts -
0:38:02 > 0:38:05"The first time I met you, my darling."
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Well, that was the first thing when I first met my wife, when I was home
0:38:09 > 0:38:15on leave, and we fell in love then and we were married for 65 years.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21# The first time I met you my darling... #
0:38:23 > 0:38:26And that was her favourite piece.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30I was unfortunate to lose my wife five years ago
0:38:30 > 0:38:34and then, within four months, I lost my daughter, and if it hadn't
0:38:34 > 0:38:38been for this choir, I don't think I would have been here now.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41You know, it was such a jolt, but I've got
0:38:41 > 0:38:45so many good mates in the choir that they helped me through.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47# Out one morning fair
0:38:47 > 0:38:50# Heave away, haul away... #
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Belonging to the choir isn't just about keeping the traditions
0:38:53 > 0:38:55alive for the sake of it.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00It's about friendship, community and creating great memories.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03# All the way you'll hear me sing
0:39:06 > 0:39:12# We're bound for south Australia. #
0:39:15 > 0:39:17CHEERING
0:39:21 > 0:39:24As a thank you to the people who have shared their memories and
0:39:24 > 0:39:29their gardens with me, I've arranged a very special command performance.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33I'm proud as punch that the choir has agreed to join me here
0:39:33 > 0:39:38at Trebah and Norman's celebrating a very special anniversary.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43It actually is 68 years today that I joined the choir.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48So, a long time ago.
0:39:49 > 0:39:54The choir has been creating wonderful harmonies since 1936.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57But this is the first time in their history that they've have
0:39:57 > 0:40:01sung at Trebah and I hope they're happy with the location.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Cornish, innit? Handsome.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09As it's such a special occasion, I've invited friends
0:40:09 > 0:40:13and family of the choir, as well as the staff from Trebah to join us.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17And my guest of honour is Marcus,
0:40:17 > 0:40:21whose dad was responsible for the splendour of this hydrangea valley.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Well, I've had a most amazing day with you and it's been very special
0:40:26 > 0:40:30to share time with you, but there's one thing that's come
0:40:30 > 0:40:35through as a common thread and that's the atmosphere of Trebah.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40Not just the plants and the stories and the magnificence of the site,
0:40:40 > 0:40:45but the fact that you both appreciate the magic of this garden
0:40:45 > 0:40:51and tonight, I hope you're going to enjoy a very special moment.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54So, it's over to you, sir, and the choir.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55MUSIC: The White Rose
0:40:55 > 0:40:59# I love the White Rose
0:40:59 > 0:41:00# In its splendour
0:41:01 > 0:41:05# I love the White Rose
0:41:05 > 0:41:09# In its bloom
0:41:09 > 0:41:13# I love the White Rose
0:41:13 > 0:41:18# So fair as it grows
0:41:18 > 0:41:25# It's the rose that reminds me of you
0:41:26 > 0:41:30# The first time I met you
0:41:30 > 0:41:32# My darling
0:41:33 > 0:41:40# Your face was as red as the rose
0:41:40 > 0:41:47# But now your dear face has grown paler
0:41:47 > 0:41:53# As pale as the lily white rose... #
0:41:54 > 0:41:58THEY CONTINUE IN CORNISH
0:42:27 > 0:42:28APPLAUSE
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Gentlemen, thank you very much indeed,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43you've not just made my day, but you've made my year.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Thank you very much indeed.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49And for me, I'd like to thank you and the choir.
0:42:49 > 0:42:54I've visited this garden many times and I never,
0:42:54 > 0:42:59ever thought I would have the privilege of hearing
0:42:59 > 0:43:06a Cornish choir sing in THE best Cornish garden, so thank you both
0:43:06 > 0:43:10and thank you, the choir, for a magical experience for me as well.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12Thank you all very much.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22During my trip to Cornwall,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25it's been a joy to visit two of my favourite
0:43:25 > 0:43:30places in the world, Trebah and St Michael's Mount and it was
0:43:30 > 0:43:34a privilege to share the memories of the people I met along the way.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38After experiencing the unforgettable choir performance,
0:43:38 > 0:43:41I can leave with a song in my heart.