“Whether driving to Port Eliot or coming by train it is not until you get within 100 yards of the House and Park that you have any idea that such a beautiful place exists. The undulations of the country side with the twists and turns of the estuary make this place invisible from any public highway or foot path. The site has been occupied for more than 1000 years. The first 500 plus years by God and half the millennium by the Eliots!”
Peregrine St Germans
Port Eliot isn’t like other Cornish festivals. It is indeed one of the most beautiful places in the country. Children love to run free on the vast lawns. Others prefer the calm and dappled shade of the spring woodland gardens. Explore the treasures in the House. Gaze at masterpieces by Reynolds and Van Dyck. Decipher the Lenkiewicz Round Room riddle mural. Wander amidst the rhododendrons and camellias. Get lost in the maze. Lie beside the unspoiled estuary. Picnic wherever you like.
The passage of the centuries can be felt as you walk around the estate. The House was remodelled by Sir John Soane in the 18th century and sits in a romantic landscape laid out by Humphrey Repton which stretches down to a secret estuary on the river Tamar. The House and gardens have the rare distinction of both being awarded Grade 1 status.
Port Eliot is the historic seat of Lord and Lady St Germans. The family have lived at Port Eliot for hundreds of years, and have accumulated a magnificent collection of exquisite furniture and paintings. But the House is still very much a family home – you will be beguiled by the warm atmosphere and roaring log fires.