Special outing by train to Cotehele to visit the orchards in blossom

We will be looking for trees in blossom as we travel by train, and then walking down through Calstock and along the bank of the River Tamar before going up through the woods to Cothele. We will then explore the old orchard and the Mother Orchard and picnic under the blossom! At Cotehele we will be joind by Dave Bouch who is the head gardener and we can ask questions about the history and heritage varieties of the orchards and the gardens.

Train leaves Plymouth 10.28 to go to Calstock (30 minute journey). Gather at Plymouth railway station from 10.00 onwards.

Alternatively, you can join the train at Devonport, Keyham or St Budeaux (but please let us know, so we can look out for you).

We aim to catch the 15:31 return train from Calsock. However, there is an option for people to stay for longer at Cotehele and take a later train back towards Plymouth at 17.45.

Wear suitable clothing and footwear and bring a packed lunch and drinks to enjoy.

Please note this walk is rough and steep in places especially in the woods. On the walk back, we need to leave plenty of time to walk up the hill back to the station as it is 2 hours between trains! Families and accompanied children will be welcome but please note it is quite a long walk for short legs!

We will organise a group discount for the train tickets for those of you who wish to take advantage of this.

River-Tamar-and-Cotehele-1.pdf - map of walk including extra part to the quay which we will not be doing.

More details about the orchards ...

The Old Orchard was part of a wider deer park surrounding the garden at Cotehele in the 16th century. Today the orchard is filled with a variety of fruit trees, including apples, cherries, plums and medlars, with some dating back to 1960.

The Old Orchard is filled with daffodils in the spring. Some of the oldest daffodils planted at Cotehele can be found around the banks of the former pond, with additional varieties planted by the garden team in 2000.

Cotehele’s Mother Orchard consists of more than 300 trees, with125 different varieties of apple tree, planted in 2007-2008. These include the Cornish Honeypinnick, Limberlimb, Pig’s Nose and Lemon Pippin.

The varieties grown in the Mother Orchard have been bred to survive the South West coast’s mild and damp climatic conditions over the last 250 years. The orchard’s intention is to provide a set of ‘mother trees’ that can be used for the selection of future varieties for domestic and commercial uses.

The Cherry Orchard may be in flower too. Discover the special Tamar Valley cherry trees!

Look out for other events in April and May as part of the Festival of Blossom 2025 up and down the Tamar Valley and in Plymouth.

This project is funded by the National Trust Blossom fund.