Hestercombe Gardens - History
Hestercombe Gardens History
Hestercombe is a unique collection of three gardens spanning three centuries of garden history and design. All have undergone acclaimed restoration works, and today provide important examples of gardens in contrasting styles that continue to grow and develop.
The Georgian Landscape Garden which lies in the combe or valley to the north of the house was created between 1750 - 86 by the then owner of Hestercombe, Coplestone Warre Bampfylde. In 1992 local man, Philip White, re-discovered the Landscape Garden, and his vision of restoring what was a totally overgrown and derelict garden is now being realised.
Landscape gardens were designed to give the impression of an idealised classical landscape with lakes, temples and grottoes. Flowers play only a small part in their design which relies on trees and shrubs to create the right atmosphere.
Your journey around this Arcadia, set in over forty acres of woodland, provides surprises and variety at every turn. The eighteenth century garden style delights in changes of texture and mood and at regular intervals are placed 'seats', small buildings from which the visitor can enjoy a composed view in the style of a landscape painting, hence the name Landscape Garden.
The Victorian Terrace on the south side of the house was personally laid out by the first Viscount Portman between 1873 and 1878 when he was undertaking considerable remodelling of the house. today, as in Victorian time, the exuberant and colourful period style bedding scheme is changed twice a year.
The Edwardian Formal Garden was created by Sir Edwin Lutyens, probably the most famous British architect since Sir Christopher Wren, Lutyens also designed the Cenotaph in Whitehall, the British Embassy in Washington and the vast imperial city of New Delhi in India.
The planting scheme was designed by Gertrude Jekyll whose influence on garden planting has been enormous. Her use in borders of graduated colour and planting in drifts has dominated garden design throughout the last hundred years.
The Formal Garden, which was established between 1904-08, is considered the finest example of the work undertaken by this famous partnership.
Close by the Ticket Office is the Bat Roost where, using closed circuit television cameras, you can watch the rare Lesser Horseshoe bats. They come here in summer to have their young and in June and July the pups can sometimes be seen clinging to their mothers.
Take an opportunity to visit the old army Barrack Hut and read about the important part Hestercombe played in World War II.
In order to protect the gardens for the future, a charity, The Hestercombe Gardens Trust was set up. In 2003, with the support of a major Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the Trust took over the management of the whole site. The Hestercombe Gardens Trust is currently fundraising to restore the eighteenth century water mill as a working estate mill that will demonstrate sustainable energy sources past and present.
Hestercombe House is an administrative centre for the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and is not open to the public.
Link to the official site of the Jekyll Trust: www.gertrudejekyll.co.uk