Picture of the Day: The Sleeping Goddess
10 years, 11 months ago - May 09, 2013
Located on Woodland Walk, in the Lost Gardens of Heligan, is an amazing sculpture of a sleeping goddess entitled ‘Mud Maid’. The incredible larger-than-life sculpture even has grass and moss growing atop it.
Heligan was a sprawling thousand-acre estate in the UK (Pentewan, St. Austell, Cornwall to be exact), and was originally bought by the Tremaynes in the 16th century. After decades of neglect in the 1900s it became decayed and overgrown until an ambitious restoration project in 1996 brought the gardens back to life. They are now one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK.
The restoration, which was the subject of a six part Channel 4 television series in 1996, proved to be an outstanding success, not only revitalising the gardens but also the local economy around Heligan by providing employment. The gardens are now leased by a company owned by their restorers, who continue to cultivate them and operate them as a visitor attraction.
