My festive day out at Trevince
I LOVE Christmas, so I needed a Christmas day out. I also love traditional houses and buildings, so what a backdrop Trevince was for some Christmas shopping.
Trevince is an old historic house with plenty of stories and character and a lovely relaxed pace. This was my first visit to Trevince and I had no real expectations heading there. The house is not open to the public so this was a real treat to be allowed in the private home. Not many people know you can walk around the gardens here for a small fee, or that you can volunteer as a gardener and experience the house from a different perspective.
On my day out I loved the beautiful 18th century walled garden, pond and shrubbery. Do note however, that not everything is open on the Christmas events like I attended. Speaking of the event, I love how the house was so busy and bustling with lots of people enjoying the Christmas spirit and buying lots of unique gifts.
From children’s wooden toys and card games to the most amazing artwork priced in its thousands. It had something for everyone. It really has lots of gift ideas that you may not have even thought about yourself. I bought such a strange combination from a willow angel to some salted caramel sauce. You really don’t know you need it until you see it.
They had samples of Cornish products like Cornish preserves with a hint of Cornish alcohol. The former cart shed has been transformed into a lovely café serving drinks and of course a slice of cake. The homemade goodies are amazing here and perfect after a walk around either the gardens or the Christmas shopping in the house.
The Christmas side of Trevince was truly amazing, the mulled wine and spiced apple juice was the cherry on the cake. We later sat outside with the lovely countryside views, it was a perfect Christmas shopping day out. The Christmas event is only on for two weekends but the gardens are open throughout the year.
The periodic entertainment from local choirs and musicians that provides that wonderful Christmas feel wasn’t there as advertised and I couldn’t see when or where this was on. I would have liked to see this to complete my festive experience. Also, a day out here may not be best suited to older people or those in a wheelchair. The cobbled pathways along the Victorian Stable Yard and Sawmill and the estate grounds and woodlands may prove to be some charming but quite tricky terrain for some.
From what I can see, they work with a local charity in Cornwall which is always great to hear. They even hosted a Poldark Ball which had three of the famous stars from the show.
I would like to visit this market again next year. It really has some lovely products. You put all your items from around the house into a clear bag (that they give you on arrival) and pay at the end so it is a really easy Christmas shopping experience.
Practicalities:
- There is no car park so you park along the lanes leading to the house so if you get there late, be prepared to walk a little.
- The estate gardens and Cart Shed café at Trevince are currently open Friday to Sunday from 29 March to 29 September, 10am to 4pm.
- Well behaved dogs on a lead are welcome.
- Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Gwennap is near Gwennap Pit as they are a few miles apart.