Hestercombe House

Hestercombe House, whose ancient origins date back to at least the thirteenth century, sits at the heart of its famed historic landscape.

With the handover from Somerset County Council almost complete the Hestercombe Gardens Trust has been working hard to find a role for the house that is sympathetic to its situation and which at the same time, will strengthen its links with the local community. One of the first exciting ventures is a partnership with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. 

To see the story first hand tune into Inside Out Southwest on February 25th, 7.30pm, BBC1 (Sky Channel 967 for those outside the region.) - or click here to view on BBC iplayer.

The Hestercombe Centre for Young Musicians

The first step towards this is the establishment of an exciting partnership between the Trust and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

From September 2013 the Guildhall Centre for Young Musicians will use the house as their South West hub bringing the Guildhall’s musical expertise to a wider audience.

Saturday 16th February saw a stunning concert featuring musicians from the London Centre for Young Musicians and both the Junior and Senior Guildhall Schools of Music and Drama. Attended by music teachers from schools across the county as well as private and peripatetic teachers it was a fitting launch for the partnership.

For further information on the Hestercombe Centre for Young Musicians please contact Stephen Dagg, Director of the Centre for Young Musicians via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Future plans

The Guildhall partnership is just one of a series of exciting ventures on the horizon. The Trust is keen to open at least some of the house to the public and the first reason to visit will be an exhibition of photographs by Gertrude Jekyll. Startlingly good quality for their age the images demonstrate another of Jekyll’s skills and depict her planting in various garden locations.