Lost Gardens of Heligan, England

Lost Gardens of Heligan Park, Garden or Woodland in St Austell, Cornwall, England

The Lost Gardens of Heligan were originally the gardens of the estate owned by the Cornish Tremayne family. After the First World War, which led to the deaths of 16 out of the 22 gardeners, the gardens fell into a state of neglect until Tim Smit and a group of fellow enthusiasts decided to restore the garden to its former glory. The restoration, which was the subject of a six part Channel 4 television series in 1996, proved to be an outstanding success, not only revitalising the gardens but also the local economy around Heligan by providing employment.

The gardens now boast a fabulous collection of aged and colossal rhododendrons and camellias, a series of lakes fed by a ram pump over a century in age, highly productive flower and vegetable gardens, an Italian garden, and a stunning wild area filled with primaeval-looking sub-tropical tree ferns called "The Jungle". The gardens also have Europe's only remaining Pineapple Pit, warmed by rotting manure, and two figures made from rocks and plants known as the Mud Maid and the Giant's Head.