The Lost Gardens of Heligan

What The Lost Gardens of Heligan does

The Lost Gardens of Heligan is a privately held heritage garden visitor attraction operated by Heligan Gardens Ltd on a 200+ acre historic Cornish estate near St Austell, United Kingdom. The site was rediscovered in 1990 after decades of neglect and opened to the public in 1992, becoming what the company describes as one of Europe's largest garden restoration projects. Its core product portfolio comprises four garden areas — the Victorian Productive Gardens (300+ heritage crop varieties, Europe's only working pineapple pit), The Jungle (the UK's only outdoor subtropical jungle in a sheltered microclimate), the Pleasure Grounds (National Collection of Camellias and Rhododendrons), and surrounding Woodland, Farm and Wildlife areas — supplemented by seasonal events (Heligan Night Garden lantern trail, Steve Backshall's Wild Heligan), guided tours and workshops (gardening, foraging, beekeeping, watercolour, nature journaling), a children's holiday club, weddings, and corporate venue hire. Ancillary revenue is generated from on-site catering (Heligan Kitchen, Steward's House Café) and a retail shop offering heritage seeds and gifts. The company employs a small core leadership team headed by CEO David Harland and includes specialist roles such as Head Gardener, Wildlife Coordinator, and Head of Maintenance and Restoration.

Heligan operates a multi-stream B2C revenue model: (1) gate admission (£25.20+ adult under VAT-savings scheme), (2) recurring annual memberships (£40 direct debit, £46.50 one-off for adults) and locals' passes (£25.20 direct debit) for Cornwall/Devon residents, (3) ticketed events and workshops priced from £30-£75, (4) seasonal high-margin weddings priced from £5,000 (winter) to £10,000 (summer Saturdays), and (5) bespoke corporate venue hire (deposit £100, package-based). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the heligan.com online booking platform and on-site ticket offices, augmented by reciprocal partnerships with seven UK attractions (Eden Project, Kew, Borde Hill, Trebah, Minack, Lappa Valley, Geevor) and an international partner (Andromeda Botanic Gardens, Barbados), RHS Partner Garden status (free RHS member entry in off-peak months), and a Blue Light Card discount scheme. The business is privately held by the Tremayne family, has no external funding, and is certified as the first B Corp garden visitor attraction in the UK, a King's Awards for Enterprise 2025 recipient, and an RHS Partner Garden.

Name

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Legal name

Heligan Gardens Ltd

Website

https://heligan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Lost Gardens of Heligan is a privately held 200+ acre heritage garden attraction in Cornwall, UK, serving 350,000+ annual visitors through garden admissions, annual memberships, weddings, corporate events, seasonal lantern trails, workshops, and on-site food and retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Garden Visitor Attraction

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Retail-Building Materials, Hardware, Garden Supply (5200)

akta.pro primary industry

Agritourism Eco-Lodges & Farm Nature Stays (THAAAHAL)

Keywords

• Historic garden tours
• Heritage garden restoration
• Wedding venue hire
• Wildlife conservation tours
• Victorian garden experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Austell

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Day Admission Tickets: General garden entry tickets sold online (pre-booked time slots) and at the on-site ticket office. From £25.20 per adult under the Great British Summer Savings scheme.
2. Annual Memberships: Annual membership scheme offering unlimited free garden admission, 10% discount in shops and kitchens, 30% discount on Night Garden tickets, exclusive early access on Fridays and Saturdays, and reciprocal free entry to partner attractions including Eden Project, Kew, and Borde Hill Estate.
3. Locals' Passes: Annual locals' passes for Cornwall and Devon residents providing unlimited garden entry for 12 months, 25% discount on Night Garden tickets, and exclusive early access to seasonal events. Available via direct debit or one-off payment.
4. Ticketed Events and Workshops: Revenue from special events including Steve Backshall's Wild Heligan, Heligan Night Garden, Father's Christmas, corporate events, weddings, guided garden tours, workshops (beekeeping, foraging, photography, watercolour, nature journaling), and courses.
5. Food and Beverage: On-site catering through the Heligan Kitchen, Steward's House Cafe, and seasonal food outlets serving produce grown in the Productive Gardens. Food is a core part of the visitor experience with produce travelling 'just a few yards' from garden to kitchen.
6. Retail (Heligan Shop): On-site shop and plant sales offering heritage seeds (Head Gardener's Choice Seed Range), gifts, local produce, and festive treats. Members receive a 10% discount on shop items.
7. Wedding and Corporate Event Venue Hire: Multi-award winning wedding venue hosting ceremonies and dinners for up to 60 guests across four seasons, with dedicated wedding planning team. Corporate venue hire includes The Steward's House for board meetings, conferences, away days, and team building activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Lost Gardens of Heligan operates a 200+ acre historic Cornish garden estate as a visitor attraction, offering day admission to restored Victorian Productive Gardens, the UK's only outdoor Jungle, and Pleasure Grounds with a National Collection of camellias and rhododendrons. The business generates revenue through admission tickets, annual memberships, Locals' Passes, seasonal ticketed events (Heligan Night Garden, Steve Backshall's Wild Heligan), weddings and corporate venue hire, educational workshops and guided tours, on-site food and beverage, and a retail shop selling heritage seeds and gifts.

Product overview

The Lost Gardens of Heligan is a historic garden visitor attraction offering a unified portfolio of experiences across a 200-acre Cornish estate. The core product is garden admission accessing Productive Gardens (award-winning Victorian restoration with 300+ heritage varieties), The Jungle (UK's only outdoor subtropical garden), Pleasure Grounds (National Collection of camellias and rhododendrons), Estate (Woodland, Farm, Wildlife). These are complemented by seasonal events (Heligan Night Garden lantern trail, Steve Backshall's Wild Heligan), membership programs (Heligan Membership, Locals' Pass), venue services (weddings, corporate events), educational workshops (garden tours, nature journaling, foraging, beekeeping), and conservation projects (beaver reintroduction). Food service (Heligan Kitchen) and retail (Heligan Shop) complete the visitor experience. The company also operates as an employer offering hospitality, culinary, and operational roles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Day Garden Admission Day admission to The Lost Gardens of Heligan's 200+ acre estate including Victorian Productive Gardens, the UK's only outdoor Jungle, Pleasure Grounds, Woodland, Farm, and Wildlife areas. Priced from £25.20 per adult under the Great British Summer Savings scheme, with online time-slot booking and on-site ticket offices.
• Heligan Annual Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 350,000 visitors served annually by the hospitality team
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RSPCA Cornwall BranchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026RSPCA Cornwall Branch is one of The Lost Gardens of Heligan's two chosen charities for 2026. As an independently registered charity dedicated to rehabilitating and rehoming animals across Cornwall, RSPCA Cornwall receives fundraising support and awareness-raising through Heligan's platform. The partnership aligns with Heligan's commitment to animal welfare and nature.
• Cornwall MindcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cornwall Mind is Heligan's second chosen charity for 2026. As a local mental health charity supporting people across Cornwall to improve mental health and wellbeing, Cornwall Mind receives fundraising support and awareness through the Heligan partnership. CEO David Harland highlighted the importance of supporting causes making a lasting difference in the community.
• Prickles and Paws (Hedgehog Rescue)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Heligan partnered with Prickles and Paws to release rescued hedgehogs into the gardens. Wildlife Co-ordinator Sam Corfield built 10 hedgehog boxes for the released animals. Hedgehogs support Heligan's pest control efforts, particularly in keeping slugs under control in the productive gardens.
• Three Bays WildlifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToby Davies, Heligan's Wildlife Coordinator, serves on the committee of Three Bays Wildlife, representing Heligan in the wider local community. This connection facilitates collaboration with other conservation organisations in the area.
• Beaver TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner working on beaver reintroduction projects. Toby Davies collaborates with the Beaver Trust as part of Heligan's beaver reintroduction programme and wetland restoration work.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToby Davies collaborates with the RSPB as part of his conservation work at Heligan, particularly regarding wildlife monitoring and habitat management for birds and biodiversity.
• Great Gardens of CornwallcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeligan is a founding member of the Great Gardens of Cornwall consortium, a group of the finest Cornwall gardens. The group offers discounted combined entry for visitors touring multiple gardens and provides cross-promotional marketing benefits to member gardens.
• Eden ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReciprocal membership benefit: Heligan Members receive free entry to the Eden Project during January and November. Eden Project visitors with Heligan memberships receive reciprocal benefits.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Wakehurst PlaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeligan Members enjoy two-for-one entry to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Wakehurst Place on presentation of valid membership cards, as part of a reciprocal attraction benefits programme.
• Borde Hill EstateminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeligan Members receive free entry to the 2,000-acre Borde Hill Estate in West Sussex during their open season (excluding special events with additional charges), providing cross-regional benefit to members.
• Andromeda Botanic Gardens, BarbadosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeligan Members can visit the Andromeda Botanic Gardens in Barbados free of charge, extending the reciprocal membership programme internationally.
• Other Partner Attractions (UK)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeligan Members receive free or discounted entry to Trebah Garden, Minack Theatre, Lappa Valley, Geevor Tin Mine, Wheal Martyn, and National Maritime Museum Cornwall during January and November.
• Corporate Event ClientsminorOthersCorporate clients include Leap Media, Gripsure, Cornwall Chamber, Truro College, Plymouth University, and Penwith College. These organisations have used Heligan for corporate away days, team building, conferences, and events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World-leading botanical garden attraction in London with broader research and conservation remit. Comparable on horticultural collections and visitor attraction model, but operates at much larger scale and is supported by public funding rather than being privately held.
• RHS Garden Wisley: RHS flagship garden in Surrey with large visitor numbers, broad horticultural collections, and institutional backing. Comparable on garden attraction model and RHS membership scheme overlap, but operates at much larger scale and is charity-supported.

Direct peers

• Sissinghurst Castle Garden: Iconic English heritage garden with strong literary and horticultural identity, operated by National Trust. Directly comparable as a visitor-focused heritage garden attraction with seasonal appeal and similar premium positioning.
• Alnwick Garden: Independent visitor garden attraction in Northumberland with strong events programming and wedding venue operations. Comparable business model combining gardens, events, and venue hire, with similar emphasis on unique garden features.
• Eden Project: Cornwall-based visitor attraction with global biomes, sustainability focus, and comparable scale (millions of visitors annually). Most directly comparable due to shared geography, similar visitor demographics, conservation focus, and partnership overlap with Heligan.
• Beth Chatto Gardens: Independent award-winning gardens in Essex renowned for ecological planting and heritage horticulture. Comparable as a privately operated garden attraction with strong horticultural identity and educational positioning.
• Tresco Abbey Garden: Sub-tropical garden attraction on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, off the Cornish coast. Comparable on sub-tropical planting, Cornwall/West Country location, and island-heritage garden restoration positioning.
• Stourhead: Iconic National Trust landscape garden in Wiltshire with historic 18th-century plantings. Comparable as a heritage landscape garden visitor attraction with premium day-visit positioning in southern England.
• Borde Hill Estate: Historic 2,000-acre estate in West Sussex with heritage gardens, woodland walks, and events. Directly comparable heritage estate garden attraction, and explicitly named as a reciprocal membership partner for Heligan members.

Others

• Wakehurst Place:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjxjaBreTTKjqGNts2cIhZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/thelostgardens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-lost-gardens-of-heligan
• Instagraminstagram.com/heligangardens
• TikToktiktok.com/@heligangardens
• Xx.com/heligangardens

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Lost Gardens of Heligan