The sun was shining as we stepped through an intriguing looking doorway into the magical world of The Great Estate Festival. We followed the bunting, walking past curious characters in fancy dress and random items like a bath and hobby horse as we wound our way down towards the Secret Gin Garden before coming out onto the main lawn.

With bright, colourful flags everywhere and plenty to see and do, I can see why The Great Estate Festival is described as ‘the most rambunctious garden fete’.

I was with my husband and our two boys aged 8 and 10 who made a beeline straight for the silent disco on the woods. After a dance under the trees and a quick game of giant chess, they had a go at Immersive VR Temperate Rainforest experience at the Woodland Trust stand which they were both entranced by.

My kids also loved building paper rockets which they then launched into the sky and they were also fascinated by the potter and blacksmith who were at work on their stands. (Both offered workshops for an extra charge.)

There was lots to do for children at The Great Estate Festival including circus skills workshops, henna designs, a ghost train, yoga, fair rides, tie dye workshops, bouncy castles, fairground games, crafts and a mini skate ramp. Lots of the activities did have an additional charge though.

We didn’t camp as we live locally and have a dog but the camping areas looked great as we passed them by. They do have a dedicated family camping area.

My husband and I went back on the Saturday without our boys which meant we could have a good mooch around all of the festival stalls. There was jewellery, clothes, headwear, prints and locally grown plants for sale. You could even get your ears pierced! There was also a wide selection of food and drinks available from pizza to Pimm’s.

For an extra charge you could purchase tickets to the Octopus Garden which has posh loos, a small bar and an intimate stage.

The Great Estate Festival was jam packed with lots of free workshops spread over the weekend from yin yoga to Bollywood dancing, and from art therapy to manifesting your dreams.

There were some really interesting talks on too about everything from functional mushrooms to a drum clinic with Miles Elze and Shane Hawkins which my husband really loved.

One of the highlights of the festival for me this year was the sauna ritual with sauna master Nick Tettersell. It was a multi-sensory experience with salt scrubs, inhalations and whisks followed by a refreshingly cold dip in the pool.

There was also a huge array of music on throughout the weekend from local acts, DJs and Hip Hop Karaoke to headliners Supergrass, Happy Mondays and Leftfield.

The Great Estate Festival is set in the grounds of Scorrier House in Cornwall which has been in the same family since 1778. It’s a beautiful venue with a large lawn around the house that is surrounded by old trees and wild meadows.

The festival itself is split into a series of venues, stages and tents throughout the grounds which means whenever you turn a corner you discover something new.

It was such a fun, family friendly festival and I highly recommend going to The Great Estate Festival next year – it’ll be back in 2026 on 29^th-31^st May. You can find out more about early bird tickets from their website.

Our tickets were complimentary but all views and opinions are my own.

Naomi Jones is an award-winning author and mum of two. You can find out more about her on her website and read more of her writing here.