Caerhays Castle

Caerhays Castle was founded by the Williams family who were dominant figures in the Cornish Industrial Revolution owning mines and smelting works. The family was responsible for the development of many popular hybrid shrubs and trees, as well as the gardens at Burncoose, Gwennap, and St. Michael Caerhays.

Caerhays Castle is a mock-mediaeval castle, designed by John Nash on the south coast of Cornwall, at St Michael Caerhays, between Truro and St Austell. The garden at Caerhays holds the NCCPG National Magnolia Collection, and boasts 75 Champion trees. The history of this influential plant collection began with Caerhays' former owner, JC Williams.

Upon the opening of China to the West, many gardeners (including JC) were fascinated by the new plants returning from the great British plant expeditions at the end of the 19^th century. Among the most influential plant explorers was EH Wilson, whose first expedition to China in 1900 returned 1500 packets of seeds to the Chelsea nurseryman and investor, James Veitch. Almost half of the new plant material from EH Wilson’s collection were Rhododendrons, and knowing how well suited Cornwall was for growing Rhododendrons, Veitch asked JC Williams to grow an assortment at Caerhays. Many of the first Rhododendrons were large enough to be planted outdoors in 1905 and 1906, and some of them (including R. lutescens) still exist to this day. By 1910, more plants came into the collection at Caerhays from the noted Scottish plant collector, George Forrest.

Like so many gardeners of his generation, JC developed a passion for plant hybridization. From 1910 until his death in 1939, JC introduced many new hybrids of Rhodendron and Magnolia including the popular long-blooming R. ‘Crossbill’ (R. lutescens x R. spinuliferum). However, JC is probably remembered most for his work with Camellias. His brilliant cross C. japonica x C. salunensis produced the exquisite Camellia x williamsii, which retained the glossy dark leaves and appealing form of C. japonica while incorporating a profusion of large C. salunensis flowers. C. x williamsii is still considered by many to be the best Camellia to grow in Great Britain.