Introduction
The Garden House is a plantsman's garden created since 1945 by Lionel Fortesque (and now owned by a trust of that name). The garden is set within the walls of part of a medieval monastery and now spreads to some 7 acres.
Terrain
Steeply slopingThe house and garden that comprise the Garden House were purchased in the 1940s by Lionel Fortesque (and are now owned by a trust of that name) within the walls of part of a medieval monastery. The gardens were developed from about 1945 and the site now covers some 7 acres.
The garden was built around a stone tower and walls which recall Sissinghurst and Scotney. There are some 3 hectares of mixed planting with lawns and trees. From the tower there is a bird's eye view of the enclosed garden.
Fortesque was a collector and developed the garden on a steep slope on the edge of Dartmoor, planted on five levels in compartmental style, with herbaceous borders, trees, unusual shrubs and stone paths. There are views to Cornwall.
- Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
Telephone
01822 854769Access contact details
Summer Opening Hours
1st March 2023 to 31st October 2023
Gardens open from 10.30am to 4.30pm
Open 6 days a week – Tuesday to Sundays (closed on Mondays)Please note – no dogs allowed in the garden. (Only certified assistance dogs.)
For more detailed visitor information visit The Garden House website.
Owners
The Fortescue Garden Trust
Other Websites
- Features & Designations
Designations
The National Heritage List for England: Listed Building
- Reference: Barn, stair tower, garden wall with arch
- Grade: II
Features
- Ruin
- Description: The ruins of a 16th-century vicarage. This ruin is now a romantic feature in the Walled Garden and features a tower with a spiral staircase and a thatched barn.
- Earliest Date:
- Latest Date:
- House (featured building)
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- Herbaceous Border
- Gardens
- Monastery
- Key Information
Type
Garden
Purpose
Ornamental
Principal Building
Domestic / Residential
Survival
Extant
Hectares
2.8
Open to the public
Yes
Civil Parish
Buckland
- References
References
- Pugsley, Steven {Devon gardens : an historical survey} (Stroud: Sutton, 1994) 18, 178 Devon gardens : an historical survey
- Lees-Milne, Alvilde and Verey, Rosemary {The Englishman's Garden} (David R. Godine, 1983) 64-7 The Englishman's Garden