Bodmin Cornwall
Bodmin sits at the heart of Cornwall, a historic market town on the edge of one of the most dramatic and distinctive landscapes in the South West. Bodmin Moor, a high, open plateau of granite tors, ancient monuments and wild moorland that has shaped the character of this part of Cornwall for centuries. To the west and south, the land softens into the rolling farmland and wooded valleys of mid Cornwall, with the Camel River running north towards Wadebridge and the estuary at Padstow. It is a town at a crossroads, both geographically and in terms of its recent history, and the surrounding area has seen steady investment in residential properties that make the most of its central position and easy access to both coasts.
Designing on the Edge of the Moor
Gardens in and around Bodmin occupy a very different design territory to those on the Cornish coast. The influence of the moor is never far away and with altitude, exposure and heavier rainfall the planting palette needs to reflect this. The granite that defines the moorland landscape frequently appears in the ground beneath even the most domestic of gardens. At its best, this creates an opportunity to design gardens that feel genuinely rooted in their landscape, using local stone, embracing the rugged topography and choosing plants that reflect the wild character of the moor while creating beautiful, comfortable spaces for the people who live in them.
The wooded valleys that run down from the moor towards the coast offer a very different set of conditions being more sheltered, fertile and often milder in climate. Here a richer and more diverse planting palette becomes possible. We have worked on both types of site in this part of Cornwall and understand how to read the landscape and respond to what each individual plot offers.
A Landscape Steeped in History
The area around Bodmin has an extraordinary depth of history, from the Bronze Age stone circles and standing stones of the moor to the medieval priory at the heart of the town and the great houses and estates that sit in the valleys around it. Lanhydrock, Pencarrow and Restormel Castle are all within easy reach, and that heritage of designed landscape with formal parkland, walled kitchen gardens, woodland walks informs the way many homeowners in the area think about their own outdoor spaces. Benedict brings an understanding of that tradition alongside a thoroughly contemporary approach to design.
The Wider Area
We are based in Lanlivery, just a few miles south of Bodmin, and work throughout mid Cornwall including Lostwithiel, Lanivet, Nanstallon, Withiel, and the villages of the Camel and Fowey valleys. If you are considering a garden project in this area, we would be delighted to visit and discuss your ideas.