3 Best Sights in The West Country, England

Spectacularly set in a former china-clay pit, this garden presents the world's major plant systems in microcosm. The crater contains more than 70,000 plants—many of them rare or endangered species—from three climate zones. Plants from the temperate zone are outdoors, and those from other zones are housed in hexagonally paneled geodesic domes. In the Mediterranean Biome, olive and citrus groves mix with cacti and other plants indigenous to warmer climates. The Rainforest Biome steams with heat, resounds to the gushing of a waterfall, and blooms with exotic flora; the elevated Canopy Walkway enables you to experience a monkey's-eye view of all of it. The emphasis is on conservation and ecology, but is free of any editorializing. The Core, an education center, provides amusement and instruction for children—if you can drag them away from the zipline and giant swing—while an entertaining exhibition in the visitor center gives you the lowdown on the whole project. Staff are scattered throughout the site to answer any lingering questions. Visitors with impaired mobility can request transportation from the entrance to the bottom of the site on a golf buggy, and there is an elevator. Tickets must be bought online for a specific time slot, and are valid for a year.

There are open-air concerts in summer and an ice-skating rink in winter. The Eden Project is 3 miles northeast of Charleston and 5 miles northwest of Fowey. There's frequent bus service from Fowey to St. Austell and from St. Austell train station to Eden. Visitors arriving on foot, by bike, or on public transport can claim a free Eden Guide on presentation of a bus and/or train ticket or bike helmet.

Seven miles west of Fowey, Charlestown has a Georgian harbor so well preserved that it often appears in period film and television productions (antique-looking square-riggers are usually moored here). This port was built by a local merchant in 1791 to export the huge reserves of china clay from nearby St. Austell. It was also one of the ports from which 19th-century emigrants left for North America.

These sprawling grounds have something for all garden lovers, as well as an intriguing history. Begun by the Tremayne family in the late 18th century, they were rediscovered and spruced up in the early 1990s by former rock music producer Tim Smit (the force behind the Eden Project). In Victorian times the gardens displayed plants from around the British Empire. The Jungle area contains surviving plants from this era, including a lone Monterey pine, as well as giant redwood, clumps of bamboo, and a wobbly rope bridge crossing the subtropical valley. The Italian Garden and walled Flower Gardens are delightful, but don't overlook the fruit and vegetable gardens or Flora's Green, bordered by a ravine. It's easy to spend half a day here. Guided tours can be arranged for groups. Travel via St. Austell to avoid confusing country lanes, then follow signs to Mevagissey.