Gardens and Gateaux – July 2023

The Gardens and Gateaux group were very grateful because the Dawlish Community Transport office were able to provide a vehicle and driver for our visit to Knightshayes despite the recent arson attack on their buses.

Upon arrival we scuttled for shelter due to some untimely rainfall and found shelter in the shop, cafe or house.  Unfortunately, although ready to be re-opened, the upstairs of the house remains closed due to the lack of volunteers so the rain meant that the downstairs was a little crowded with visitors.  However, the volunteers present were very knowledgeable and brought the history of the house and rooms to life.

We learnt that in 1868 Sir John Heathcoat-Amory commissioned the architect William Burges to initiate the plans and building in the Victorian Gothic style.  However, Burges was fired part way through and the building was finished in a less extravagant manner, although there are still plenty of magnificent ceilings to admire.

Sir John was the grandson of John Heathcoat who owned the lace making factory in Tiverton – still visible from the front of Knightshayes.  The last piece of lace to be made on the old style machinery (now in a museum) was incorporated into Princess Diana’s wedding veil.  Nowadays the factory has moved with the times and makes innovative fabrics, some of which go into space or lines our car tyres.

The last family member to live in Knightshayes, until her death in 1997, was Joyce Weathered, Lady Amory.  She was a renowned golfer of her time and was responsible, along with her husband – another Sir John – for developing the woodland garden area which was planted with many new and rare plants.

The walled kitchen garden was also designed by Burges, with turreted walls, to contain a productive vegetable, fruit and flower growing area.  Sadly today, with a lack of volunteers, the kitchen garden is a shadow of its former glory and large areas have been planted with ground covering green manure plants like chicory and clover.  However, the rhubarb was flourishing and new fruit trees were being planted along a wall to be fan trained in the future.

Happily the sun shone later in our visit and we were able to enjoy the formal gardens, laid out by the landscape designer Edward Kemp – and even catch a few of our members posing by the large lily pond for a photo whilst they discussed the merits of the visiting damsel and dragonflies.  Another successful outing for the Garden and Gateaux group!

The next Gardens and Gateaux members meeting is on Tuesday, 8 August in The Strand Hall, Lawn Hill at 12.30pm, where for the small entry fee of £1 tea or coffee is provided whilst we discuss the details of the next outing on Friday, 25 August to Mount Edgcumbe; along with other ideas.

Jenny Lancaster

Convenor