Cotehele’s Great Hall feels made for Christmas. Every year the garden team builds a 60-foot garland from thousands of flowers grown and dried on the estate, a tradition that’s been delighting visitors since 1956. The look changes each season because it depends on what thrives in the cut-flower garden, which keeps the display unique year after year.
What to expect
Step into the Tudor Great Hall and the garland is the star of the show, strung beneath ancient timbers with armour and tapestries on the walls. The flowers are sown in January, picked from late spring, then dried over summer and autumn before everything is assembled across two weeks in November. It is a brilliant blend of heritage, horticulture, and patience.
2025 dates at a glance
If you want to catch the garland being created, or see it finished, here are the key dates for this year:
- Base build outside the house, Monday 10 November 2025, 10.30am to 4pm.
- Assembly moves into the Great Hall, Tuesday 11 to Thursday 20 November 2025, 10.30am to 4pm.
- Completed garland on display daily, Saturday 22 November 2025 to Monday 5 January 2026, 10.30am to 4pm, closed 25 to 26 December.
You do not need to book for general visits, though groups of 15 or more should contact the team in advance.
Behind the scenes
The numbers tell the story. Recent garlands have used around 30,000 dried blooms, all grown on site and attached to a pittosporum base by staff and volunteers. It is careful work that transforms the hall over roughly twelve days, helped along by a small army of green-fingered hands.
More festive bits while you are there
It is not just the hall. Follow the lights to Cotehele Mill for simple, family-friendly Christmas activities and a peek at Victorian-style decorations. There are also carols outside the house on selected dates, so wrap up warm and bring a good singing voice.
Tips for visiting
- Timing: Weekday mornings are quieter, especially before mid-December.
- Photos: The garland is easiest to photograph from the hall’s far end, where you can frame it with the hammer-beam roof.
- Make a day of it: Leave time for the gardens, the quay, and the woodland paths above the Tamar, they are lovely in winter light.
A quick bit of history
Cotehele is one of Cornwall’s most atmospheric houses, largely unchanged since Tudor times and set high above the River Tamar near Calstock. It belonged to the Edgcumbe family for centuries, and today it is cared for by the National Trust. The hall’s setting and age are a big part of why the garland feels so special.
If you are planning a Christmas outing in Cornwall, Cotehele is an easy recommendation. The garland is striking, the setting is authentic, and there is enough to fill a relaxed, festive day. Check the National Trust page before you travel for any last-minute updates, then enjoy one of the county’s most charming seasonal traditions.