We found ourselves in a magical fairyland quite by chance. It was hard to believe we were just outside Truro. All we heard was birds singing and a brook babbling, all we could smell was wild garlic. And all we could see was trees, flowers and fairy houses. We counted over fifty of them. The houses – for birds and bugs as well as fairies – were created during lockdown in 2020 by local resident John Rowe, along with children in the area.

Forty acres of woodland have been transferred to Truro City Council and transformed into a wonderful trail, maintained by Chris Waddle, Countryside Ranger for Truro City Council, and his team, along with many volunteers. The area encourages biodiversity, and nothing is wasted: recently cuttings from a dead tree were used to create a ‘dead hedge’ (piles of branches and twigs created into a hedge-like shape; they are good for birds and hedgehogs).

The fairy houses are beautifully made, with loving detail and skill. Paintings and decorations adorn the walls and houses. Inside the houses is furniture. If I didn’t believe in fairies before, the trail and the houses have surely willed them into being.