Homeyard Botanical Gardens, nestled in the heart of Shaldon village, is one of the UK’s premier green spaces and parks. This hidden gem features a concealed castle with stunning views over the estuary.
Previously a private estate, the gardens are now owned by Teignbridge District Council and are open to the public free of charge seven days a week. They have once again been honoured with the prestigious Green Flag international quality mark.
The gardens offer magnificent views across the river towards Teignmouth and along the East Devon and Dorset coastline. They boast a castle, pond, rill garden, Italianate rockery, tree trail, and poetry trail.
Following restoration work carried out in 2016 and 2017, the gardens have been restored to their former splendour, as reported by DevonLive.
The entrances to the gardens add a touch of mystery. The top entrance leads directly from the main road through grand gates, while the lower entrance is discreetly located off an alleyway from a housing estate, leading up steps to the castle gates and into a garden paradise.
Known for its remarkable trees and features such as the castle folly, the Burma Star rose garden, a pond & rill, and an Italianate garden, the arboretum has made the Gardens a fascinating place to explore. It’s no surprise then that The Green Flag Award scheme, run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, recognised the area with this honour.
This initiative recognises and rewards the highest standard of park and green space management both in the UK and globally.
THE HISTORY
The Gardens were created by Maria ‘Laetitia’ Kempe Homeyard in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, and were built by Thomas Rider of Southwark, London and the designer William Sears. They were constructed on a steeply sloping patchwork of fields above the picturesque village of Shaldon.
Mrs. Homeyard was the widow of William Newcombe Homeyard, the wealthy inventor and manufacturer of Liqufruta cough syrup. The garden she created is an informal terraced arboretum with a level walk along the top. Improvement work continued until 1939.
They lived at Ness Cottage at the eastern end of the gardens. As well as designing gardens, 54 distinctive houses were built on the surrounding fields, transforming the small fishing village of Shaldon.
After Mrs Homeyards death in 1944 the land in her estate was auctioned with the Gardens being purchased by Teignmouth Urban District Council in 1951. They were opened to the public in 1955.
POND AND RILL
The gardens include a pond, full of fish, and the rill flows down through three smaller ponds to a larger pond. It was stocked with huge ornamental Koi carp in Mrs Homeyard’s day. The area has recently been replanted and this water feature runs as a closed circulatory system on special occasions.
THE CASTLE
Built of Torbay limestone, Mrs Homeyard entertained her friends to tea and bridge in the summerhouse. The castle, which was restored in 2017, now hosts community events and Friends volunteers open it for refreshments during the warmer months. It can be hired from Teignbridge for private parties.
ITALIANATE GARDEN
Classical balustrades and rockeries define the area and the lawn once featured a rose covered bower looking out over the estuary. Garden designer William Sears worked on the whole project and a stone bench set up in his memory has been restored.
At each end of the lawn there are classical balustrades and beyond rockeries recently cleared of substantial incursions of bramble, ivy and self-seeded incomers. They are now replanted with Mediterranean style plants as they were originally.
THE WITCHES CAVE
The hidden cave – which is currently fenced off – is reputed to be where Old Mother Gum comes down from the woods at dusk to take tea in her cave. A notice says that the structure needs further investigation work with regards to the stability, so as a result, fencing has been put in place, restricting access to it.
THE WOODLAND WALK
You can walk around the gardens through the woodland and the trees. It also include a memorial and raised garden in commemoration of the nurses for their devoted and professional care during the 1941 – 1945 Burma campaign.
365 trees and shrubs were reputed to have been planted but only a few of the originals survive, among them: three fantastic Weeping Beech (Fagus Sylvatica Pendula) specimens which dominate the lawn area around the Italianate gardens, the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus X Andrachnoides) a native of Greece, and the large Monterey Pines (Pinus Radiata). More unusual recent plantings include the Maidenhair Tree (Gingko Biloba) and three Tree Ferns (Dicksonia Antarctica).
Nationally some 2,216 parks and green spaces have received the green flag accreditation. Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd MBE said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved at these sites in achieving a Green Flag Award.
“These are vital green spaces for the community, bringing people together and providing opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles. The staff and volunteers do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards of the Green Flag Award and everyone involved should feel extremely proud of their achievement.”