Trelissick Garden | Cornwall

Without a doubt one of the best things I own is my National Trust young person membership. It costs £30 a year and with that I can visit hundreds of places all over the country as many times as I like. Living in Cornwall I'm lucky that there are so many National Trusts places only a stones throw away and I've used my membership more this year than ever. 

I've always, always had a National Trust membership even from a small child when I was still included on my parents one. It's something I can't imagine not being a part of. Some of my most treasured and rare childhood memories are of running along the cobblestones of St Micheals Mount or exploring dusty corners of Mottisfont Abbey. I love history, old ostentatious houses and preserving  a time gone by.  

So, for my birthday this year I could think of nothing better than exploring Trelissick House and Garden, somewhere I had been many times to the cafe, bookshop and gallery but never into. I had a great time wandering around the house although it was quite barren and limited due to a lack of funding and the family moving out last year.

It was one of those places that I could feel the generations before me running about. The house had life still, seeping out of the peeling wallpaper and crumbling architraves. The volunteers there were so enthusiastic about the history behind the house and seemed really keen to chat away which I took full advantage of! The surrounding garden was pristine yet not over groomed and the view of the water was enviable. I could have happily sat on the benches for hours in the sunshine, taking everything in. 

Trelissick is still one of my favourite haunts in Cornwall. From the quaint bookshop where I snagged a 1924 edition of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass to go with my other classic editions to the idyllic cafe with its range of treats but really, these are just bonuses to the house and garden.