Fowey
Fowey is one of Cornwall’s most captivating towns being a working port and sailing harbour tumbling down steep hillsides to the estuary, with a history that stretches back to medieval merchants and Daphne du Maurier. In recent years, the town and its surroundings have attracted considerable investment, with a number of substantial contemporary and renovated properties making the most of the extraordinary views across the Fowey Estuary and out towards the open sea. These are houses perched on challenging terrain, often on near-vertical slopes, where the garden design demands as much engineering thinking as horticultural knowledge.
Designing for the Fowey Estuary
Gardens in and around Fowey present some of the most technically demanding and visually rewarding work we undertake. Plots are frequently steep, sometimes terraced over multiple levels, and almost always oriented towards water. The tidal estuary, shifting from silver to deep blue depending on the light and the season, is rarely something to screen or ignore. The best gardens here are designed around the view, with terracing, planting and hard landscaping working together to draw the eye outward while creating sheltered, usable outdoor spaces at every level.
The sheltered nature of the estuary also creates a remarkably mild microclimate. Fowey and the creek-side villages that surround it i.e. Polruan across the water, Golant upstream, Lerryn further into the valley, support a rich palette of plants that would struggle on the exposed Atlantic coast. In Fowey, most gardens face east and are spared the prevailing westerlies, however an easterly storm can cause havoc and must be considered in the planting palette. Tree ferns, echiums, and tender Mediterranean species can thrive here, if sheltered correctly, giving planting schemes a lushness and ambition that is one of the great pleasures of designing in this part of Cornwall.
The Wider Area
We work throughout the Fowey estuary and the surrounding South Cornwall coast, including Polruan, Polkerris, Par, Charlestown, Mevagissey and the villages of the Fowey Valley inland. If you are considering a garden project in this area, we would love to come and see the site and talk through your ideas.