Antony House and Garden - National Trust

14/06/2026

You may have heard of our daylily collection, but how did it come to Antony? 🌺

Well, the reason there is such an incredible collection here is because of the passion of one woman; the late Lady Cynthia Carew Pole.

Lady Cynthia adored 'daylilies' and through the 1960s and 1970s to her death in 1977, she collected over 600 varieties which were planted in the walled garden at Antony and later alphabetised, allowing future gardeners to keep track of them all.

She also established a plant nursery, and carefully-tended Hemerocallis specimens were shared with other collectors across the world. She meticulously recorded each variety and her thoughts on them, which were often poetic. She described one variety with 'the flowers glow with an iridescent light.'

Lady Cynthia's collection of Hemerocallis were offered as a National Collection which was accepted in 1985, its significance now fully recognised.

The Daylily Garden's gates are open each year for just two short weeks. This year it will be open until Tuesday 23 June for visitors to enjoy the spectacle of vibrant colour.

🔗 Plan your trip to Antony and the daylilies by visiting our website: https://tinyurl.com/bp5stdax

📸 Emma W

[Image description: four images of Hemerocallis (daylilies) in the walled garden at Antony, the first are golden yellow, the second orange, the third red and the fourth yellow with pinkish tips.]

12/06/2026

Because Antony will always be the home of Alice to us 📖

We recently had some incredible second-hand book donations for Antony's bookshop and just look what we found - a 1950s edition of 'Alice Through the Looking Glass' by Lewis Carroll. We couldn't resist taking a closer look: Antony was featured in the 2010 film 'Alice in Wonderland' directed by Tim Burton.

Inside is a very touching inscription which we wanted to share:

'My darling Elaine, my pride & my joy,
It makes me so happy to give you a toy,
I went into town, to have a look round,
But instead of a toy, a book I have found.

Your loving Nana
12.2.57'

This beautiful book has come to the right place. Every book sold, every piece of cake munched and cup of coffee slurped at Antony helps us to look after this very special place.

Have you discovered our second-hand bookshop yet? You'll find it next to the Colonnade Café but be warned - you may walk away with a bargain (or four...)

[Image description: 1) the book described above open on its handwritten inscription 2) books on display in the second-hand bookshop, a sign reads 'All proceeds go directly to the conservation of Antony.']

10/06/2026

We like to welcome everyone to National Trust places, but these pests are an exception! 🐜

Collections & House Officer Clare has recently found evidence of these little visitors to Antony's house - carpet beetles that have been found on windowsills.

The beetles themselves aren't such a problem though, it's their larvae that can damage our collections as they eat their way through natural materials like wool, feathers, fur and historic textiles.

Carpet beetles are best controlled through thorough cleaning and reducing the materials their larvae feed on. Clare's top tips to reducing carpet beetles are:

🐜 Vacuum carpets, skirting boards, upholstery, and corners regularly, especially in quiet or less-used rooms
🐜 Inspect precious carpets and rugs regularly (with a magnifying glass if you can!)
🐜 Keep an eye on windowsills for evidence of beetles

Never fear for Antony's house though, Clare and the team are on the case! Have you ever had to deal with these critters, do you have any tips to share?

📸 Clare D

[Image description: an image of two dead carpet beetles, which are black and brown, on a white windowsill.]

08/06/2026

🌺 Starting tomorrow! 🌺

We're opening the gate to the daylily garden for just two weeks to witness the glory of Antony's colourful collection of daylilies (Hemerocallis).

Join us on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays between 9 and 23 June, 12pm-5pm to witness this stunning display of flowers!

The National Trust is opening the gates to a secret garden that houses a national collection of rare flowers.

Read the full article in the comments. ⬇️

08/06/2026

🌺 THIS WEEK AT ANTONY 🌺

The daylilies are here! Antony's incredible collection of over 600 varieties of daylily (Hemerocallis) opens on Tuesday 9 June and will be open until 23 June.

Antony will be open on Tuesday 9, Wednesday 10, Thursday 11 and Sunday 14 this week, 12pm-5pm (car park opens at 11:45am). Join us to discover daylilies, explore the rest of the blooming gardens and take in the striking house.

Top tip: if you prefer a quieter visit, we recommend the peace of our second hand bookshop, found in the museum room next to the Colonnade Café. All proceeds go towards helping us care for Antony.

📸 Clare D, Emma W

[Image description: 1) vibrant red daylily with a long stamen covered in pollen 2) a view of Antony's house through the leaves of the black walnut tree 3) white roses in a border 4) a close up of books in the second hand bookshop with a sign in the centre that reads 'All proceeds go directly to the conservation of Antony.']

06/06/2026

Discover over 600 varieties of daylilies at Antony between 9 and 23 June! 🌼

We're opening the doors to a part of Antony's garden that's rarely seen - the daylily garden, home to a historic collection of beautiful Hemerocallis.

Their vibrant colours will only burn brightly for two weeks, so be sure not to miss them! Horticulturalists, keen gardeners and relaxed amblers alike will enjoy this rainbow of colour on display.

Some and take a peek behind the garden gate: Antony is open on Tuedays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays between 12pm and 5pm.

📸 Alex H

[Image description: yellow, orange and red daylilies in bloom in the walled garden, text in boxes above reads 'Discover daylilies in Antony's gardens.']

04/06/2026

It's Volunteers' Week, and we're celebrating all that our volunteers bring to the National Trust, and giving a massive thank-you!

Today we're shining a light on Wendy and Andy, who are new to the garden team at Antony.

We asked them what they like best about volunteering so far. Wendy is enjoying learning new skills, as she had never gardened before and learns something new every shift. Andy also loves to learn and is really enjoying meeting new people in his role.

Caring for Antony's sprawling gardens wouldn't be possible about the help of the volunteer garden team, and we love to welcome new volunteers to this lovely place. Thank you to Wendy and Andy, the volunteer garden team and all the volunteers at Antony that make this place so special and welcoming.

🔗 Interested in volunteering for the National Trust? Take this link and see what opportunities their are near you: https://tinyurl.com/mu9f2zfa

[Image description: portraits of Wendy and Andy at Antony, they are both wearing National Trust jumpers.]

01/06/2026

Happy Volunteers' Week to our amazing volunteers across Antony, Buckland Abbey and Cotehele! 🎉

Each and every one of our volunteers contributes something special to our places. Our volunteers bring passion, knowledge, research, enthusiasm, specialist skills and humour to their roles, and they play a huge part in how we continue to care for these beautiful buildings, entrancing estates and gorgeous gardens (and more, the list is endless).

Across the Tamar Valley we have hundreds of volunteers, dozens of roles and so much to celebrate this week. From all of us that work at Antony, Buckland Abbey and Cotehele, the biggest heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers - we simply couldn't do it without you.

We'll be celebrating more on our socials media channels as the week goes on!

📸©National Trust Images/Hugh Mothersole/Sarah Davis

[Image description: a collage of the facades of Antony House, Buckland Abbey and Cotehele House with text that reads 'Happy Volunteers' Week to our amazing volunteers!']