In one of Cornwall’s leafy corners, less than five miles from the enchanting Helford estuary, an oasis awaits. Mirana; its name inspired by Slavic linguistic roots around serenity and peace, comprises two connecting barns whose natural wellness garden – lovingly crafted by its horticulturalist owner – encircles like protective stones.
“We were looking to find a space in nature, not far from the coast but protected from the coastal winds,” property owner Jo notes. “We were attracted to the valley by its topography and the variety of habitats and landscapes here.” Despite purchasing the farm down the lane that they call home 16 years ago, Jo and husband James didn’t obtain planning permission to convert the barns, now Mirana, until 2022. Jo, whose background is in environmental education, was beguiled by the rural idyllic of the paddock, woodland, orchard, stream and pond that awaited. “When we arrived with our first daughter, who was then aged just six months, one of the first things we did was plant a food forest using permaculture principles,” she adds. “Sichuan pepper, choke berry, plum, hazel and hawthorn, and a wide variety of Cornish apple are now mature and abundant here.”
When planning permission was granted, the duo worked with a team of local craftspeople to renovate the barns. “It was important to us that the barn had as low an environmental footprint as possible,” Jo states. “Which is why it has been built as close to Passivhaus standard as possible for a barn conversion.” Inside, there is an intentional subtlety: neutral plaster and tadelakt walls, relaxed furnishings and a wood-clad kitchen remain humble, allowing the majesty of the garden to pose as living artwork through the glass. “It was important for us to be in a space where we could connect with nature,” Jo adds, justifying the use of bifolds throughout, so that inside easily melts into out. Working with an architectural designer, their main focusses were needing to make the property work within its existing structure (based in a National Landscape they could only work with the original imprint of the barn), flooding the property with light and creating vistas across the natural pond and woodland from every room.
Integral to Mirana's wellness garden is the glassy natural swimming pond that seemingly glides alongside the expanse of the property. “There was an existing pond that had silted up and mostly dried out when we first arrived,” Jo notes. “We restored it and deepened it by two metres, which gave rise to the beautiful idea of being able to swim in it too.” To ensure the pool is fully natural, Jo and James have planted a plethora of native species including flowering rush, loosestrife and galingale – “this helps support invertebrate and amphibian populations by providing spaces for their young.” A laborious project indeed but, after meeting Jo, you can’t quite picture a swimming pool at Mirana any other way – with dragonflies dancing above the water and tadpoles beneath. However wild, it feels completely luxurious at the same time, with pontoons crafted to hover above the water whilst you soak up the Cornish rays. And the Finnish sauna and wood-fired hot tub providing necessary respite after cold dips.
For Jo, a lover of the natural world, it was essential that she practiced what she preached. “Mirana sits next to an area of riparian woodland, a type of rare wetland habitat made up of alder, willow, moss and ferns," she explains. “Ensuring that the pond remains an extension of this habitat was important to us.” Likewise, the pair planted a variety of flowers to provide bees and butterflies with their all-important nectar; and take pleasure from foraging walnuts and apples produced on their own land. “Every year, we spend time with friends and family collecting and juicing the apples; summer sunshine bottled and drunk year round,” she adds.
On their favourite way to spend a day here, they enjoy nothing more than “A cold dip in the pond after the heat of the sauna, stargazing in the hot tub on a clear night or swimming lengths of the pond on a summer afternoon. Swimming in the silky soft water with the reeds lining the edge is a deeply relaxing experience.” Jo notes. Mirana is a true oasis where you leave feeling like you have learned something – with a greater appreciation for this beautiful planet we call home.
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