Visit to Shobrooke Park. Tuesday 5th May

Thankyou to http://www.heardfamilyhistory.org.uk for this photograph 

The Devon History Society and the Devon Gardens Trust have  jointly organised a visit to Shobrooke Park next Tuesday.
It costs £5 per person, and includes a talk by one of the landscape conservationists, and a guided tour of the grounds.

The 50-room Shobrooke House was burnt down in 1945, when it was being used as a prep school. 3 boys and a nurse died

 Fire destroys Shobrooke House in 1945

Bookings have to be made by today. 

Please enquire chair@devongardenstrust.org.uk | 07769 335506

HERE'S a link to the Devon History Society's booking form. 

Understanding an historic landscape

Tuesday 5th May 2015

Shobrooke Park, Crediton, EX17 1DG

Shobrooke Park Gardens were first laid out in about 1845 by Henry Hippisley Tuckfield (the current owner, Jack Shelley’s, Great Great Grandmother’s cousin)

 as the garden for his new house and to complement the Park. The house was destroyed by fire in 1945. The garden was neglected until 1968 when John and Dorothy Shelley (Jack’s parents) moved back to Devon and started the clearance work. In 1981 Dorothy Shelley built the modern bungalow and continued to reclaim the garden. Jack and Clare Shelley moved into the bungalow in 1992 and set about replanting the garden. 

John Phibbs of Debois Landscape Group did a historical survey of the park and garden in 1994, and Simon Bonvoisin of Nicholas of Nicholas Pearson Partnership produced a new Parkland Plan in 2012 and the restoration work has been based on their recommendations.

We are delighted that Simon Bonvoisin has agreed to talk and lead a walk of the landscape for this event. 

Until 1939 the garden was looked after by a team of six men and a boy, using a garden pony and hand tools. All the restoration work has been a compromise between recreating the original garden and creating a garden that can be maintained with modern machinery.

11.30 ~ Guided walk to the Folly and ponds.

1.00 ~ Lunch – please bring a picnic lunch. Tea/coffee will be provided.

After lunch, visitors will be welcome to wander the gardens and visit the grass 

Please reserve____ places for the DGT-DHS visit to Shobrooke Park @ £5 each.

Name(s):........................................................................................................................................

Address:.........................................................................................................................................

Email:...............................................................................Tel:.......................................................

Please send cheques made out to Devon Gardens Trust to: Dr Ian Varndell, Devon Gardens 

Trust, Exeter Community Centre, St Davids Hill, Exeter, EX4 3RG.

Enquiries: to above address | chair@devongardenstrust.org.uk | 07769 335506