A POPULAR fairy door trail has moved from its original home in a Truro woodland to a new location near Perranporth.

The Fairy Doors of Malabar and Coosebean now form the Enchanted Fairy Trail at Cornish Lavender, a flower farm and visitor attraction at Perrancombe, between St Agnes and Perranporth. An official opening will take place at midday on Easter Sunday (April 5).

The trail was the brainchild of John Rowe, who handcrafted a handful of doors during the pandemic. This grew into a collection of 80 doors and houses - many dedicated to lost loved ones - sited in Coosebean woodland, which is owned and managed by Truro City Council.

The doors were incredibly popular with families, with children leaving sweets and gifts for the fairies. However, they sadly attracted antisocial behaviour and many houses were vandalised.

Mr Rowe discussed the council taking a more proactive role in the management of the trail, but upon being asked to limit the boundaries of the trail and the number of features, and with no prospect of CCTV, he removed the trail from the woods.

“The vandalism took its toll on me,” he said. “When Tina at Cornish Lavender offered us a new home for the trail, we spent two days moving it over there.

“There are now numerous trails. It’s clean and litter-free, and I hope people will be able to leave donations for good causes, which is something I was never able to do at Coosebean.”

Mr Rowe’s friend, Cornish historian Barry West, was instrumental in relocating the trail. “John is a selfless individual who has done an awful lot for the community,” said Mr West. “He has given time, effort and money to create these create these fairy doors, and he has done so with care and compassion. I felt very moved by what he had done, and when he said he couldn’t do it anymore, I told him I was sure there would be an opportunity.

“I’d visited Cornish Lavender and thought the copse there was perfect - brimming with butterflies and with plenty of space for kids to run about. I asked the owner if she would speak to John; she did, and the rest is history. Together, they have created a wonderful space.”

Cornish Lavender owner Tina Bessell said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to give the Enchanted Fairy Trail a home at Cornish Lavender. It brought so much love, joy and amazement to people of all ages during and since lockdown. The houses are so beautiful, and we know everyone will love them.”

Mrs Bessell requested that children avoid leaving perishable good such as sweets as gifts for the fairies, and that adults book a 30-minute slot in advance due to limited parking facilities at the farm. A parking fee of £2 will be applied to pay for the booking system; any profit made will be given to Mr Rowe for distribution to local good causes. There is no entry fee to the trail or the lavender farm. Dogs are welcome on leads.