DECK THE HALL
In the midst of Cornwall’s Tamar Valley, one stately 15th-century property is home to a captivating Christmas display
t’s two o’clock on Christmas Eve and a throng of expectant revellers surround the arched doorway of Cotehele’s Tudor Great Hall. Buttoning up coats and winding scarves tighter as they wait to enter, parents and grandparents hold on to small hands, while other excited youngsters squeeze in and out of gaps in the gathering crowd. Inside, Callington Town Band strikes up a brass version of O Come All Ye Faithful – the conductor at the helm gesturing to encourage arrivals to sing along. However, while the rousing sound of the trombone and trumpets has some members of the audience tapping their toes, it’s what hangs from the ceiling above that is really the main event. For suspended high from the rafters – in swathes of carefully dried purple, green and white flowers – is a 60-foot garland, representing a custom that has drawn visitors to St Dominick in Cornwall for the past six decades. “The estate is more than 600 years old,” says head gardener Dave Bouch, gesturing to the building’s time-worn stonework and mullioned windows, “so what we create has to be in keeping with that – no tinsel or baubles.” What started as a modest Christmas decoration in the 1950s has grown both in size and reputation, and now draws spectators from near and far. “I think people long to be a part of a tradition,” Dave continues, “whether it’s creating their own or being included in something bigger.”
Cast your eyes upwards inside the hall and it’s not difficult to understand why families return year after year to see the garland’s latest incarnation. Papery disks of honesty (which have been prepared by hand in the living room of one of Dave’s most
THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The main house is mostly Tudor; volunteers harvest stems in the Cut Flower Garden; a length of rope covered in pittosporum
serves as the garland’s core; flowers are gathered from late April onwards OPPOSITE Volunteer Deb Baxter carefully ties the blooms into bunches ready for drying
loyal volunteers, Iris) contrast with the golden-centred blooms of winged everlasting, while delicate sprigs of statice stand out against the tufted panicles of hare’s tail grass.
In a time when Christmas can mean big-budget television adverts, last-minute shopping and ever-increasing wish lists, it’s remarkable that so many people – of all ages – congregate in one space to see something so simple, but yet so captivating. Sarah-jayne Collins, her sister Katherine and five-year-old daughter Annabel are inspecting a row of small enamel pots, which showcase the selection of flowers used in the decoration. “There’s still a place for traditions like these,” Sarah-jayne says, directing Annabel’s attention to a magnificent wrought-iron chandelier. “To me, it’s about heritage and a sense of belonging – that’s what’s really important. It’s not something you can put a price on.”
At the far end of the hall, a 40-foot swag containing nearly 8,000 flowers snakes up and around an imposing oak door – flanked by two giant whale bones (which date back to 1875) – but the majority of the garland is suspended from the ceiling. “I’ve worked on Christmas Eve for a few years running now,” says Susan Riglin, who is collecting donations for local charities. “Last year we had two marriage proposals under the mistletoe, both of which were accepted. It’s lovely how Cotehele has become a part of so many people’s Christmases as well as our own.”
With the hall nearing capacity, Norman Watts has had to lift his six-year-old granddaughter, Amelia, onto his shoulders for a better view of the band. “We come to see the garland every year,” says his wife Georgie, as the first few notes of Good King Wenceslas reverberate around the room. “We never quite know what it’s going to look like – there’s a different theme and design each time – but it is always so beautiful. The children love it.”
A short walk from the Great Hall, with the hum of carols still audible on the brisk winter breeze, are Cotehele’s main gardens. Though most of the flowerbeds now lie dormant, it
“It’s a lovely setting for us to play in”
“There’s a different theme and design each time, but it is always so beautiful”
is here that Dave, alongside a small but dedicated team that includes Victoria Dillon and Jane Hammacott (not to mention a contingency of 31 dedicated volunteers), works tirelessly to ensure a plentiful floral crop that will provide the 30,000-plus blooms needed to create the garland.
The growing year starts in January, just weeks after the existing decoration has been composted (minus a few small segments that are given to local schools to develop their own mini versions), with Dave ordering the first batches of new seeds. These are then sown in a glasshouse before the seedlings are planted outside: “This year, we looked at the weather forecast and decided it was fine. Then, within hours of working, we witnessed the worst hailstorm I’ve seen in all my time here,” Dave laughs. “The ground was completely frozen, with all these tiny plants we’d just nurtured exposed to the elements!”
Once the flowers are ready to be picked (typically from late April), the group begins a meticulous process that involves removing each stem’s leaves before bunching and hanging them upside down to dry in the potting shed. As November comes around, the assembling can begin – transforming a bare length of rope into an attraction that will draw more than 30,000 visitors.
Back in the hall, many families have departed, returning home to prepare for the next day’s festivities. Those who remain make the most of the various photo opportunities – a rather austere-looking suit of armour mounted on the wall is a popular choice. In the corner, musicians pack up their instruments, pleased to have performed in such a historic venue. “It’s a lovely setting for us to play in,” says Annette from nearby Luckett. “Although I come to see the garland every year, this is my first time with the band. With all the technology that’s around nowadays, it’s nice to have something traditional and authentic.” Fourteen-yearold Freya, who plays the trombone, agrees: “You can’t beat the atmosphere here,” she says. “The whole place is magic.”
You’d be forgiven for thinking that, with another year at an end, Dave might be looking forward to some time away from the many challenges of the garden, but that’s certainly not the case. “As soon as it’s all over, I’m thinking about our next design and what we can offer,” he says, smiling. “People want an alternative to the hype of Christmas. What we do is very low key – it’s about spending time with family, singing carols and wrapping up warm to look around the grounds of the estate. What could be better?”
Watch the gardeners create the garland from 1-10 November, 11am-4pm, and see it in the Great Hall from 11 November to 6 January (closed 25 and 26 December), 11am-4pm. Find out more at nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele.