EXPLORE THE ATTRACTIONS
Local Sightseeing
If you can tear yourself away from this idyllic country seat, there’s no shortage of other diversions on the doorstep. The craggy tors and wide open expanse of Dartmoor National Park is almost within walking distance, and the stunning coastlines of both North and South Devon are barely 30 minutes away by car. Shopping in Exeter is only 45 minutes by car, Plymouth only 45 minutes also. Torquay and the ‘English Riviera’ is about an hour’s drive away. The enthusiastic team at Lewtrenchard have a wealth of local knowledge and will be delighted to make suggestions and help with your itineraries.
DATES FROM THE LATE 11TH CENTURY
Okehampton Castle
Okehampton Castle is a ruined motte and bailey castle situated in Devon. The castle has Norman origins and dates from the late 11th century. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book (completed in 1086) which states that at that time it was in the possession of Baldwin de Brionne, the Sheriff of Devon.
Call 01837 52844
Okehampton Castle, Castle Lodge, Okehampton, Devon – EX20 1JA
DELIGHTFUL FORMAL GARDENS AND WALKS
Castle Drogo
The dramatic Dartmoor setting of this National Trust property can be appreciated from the delightful formal gardens and walks. Commissioned by retail tycoon Julius Drewe, and designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the castle harks back to a romantic past, and now offers a recently improved visitor centre and cafe.
Call 01647 433306
Castle Drogo, Drewsteignton, near Exeter, EX6 6PB
SPECTACULAR WHITE LADY WATERFALL
Lydford Gorge
Lydford Gorge is a National Trust property situated 5 miles from Lewtrenchard Manor. The whole walk is approximately 3 miles long and provides an enchanting riverside walk to the spectacular 90ft White Lady waterfall. It is not suitable for people with heart complaints or walking disabilities, and stout shoes are recommended.
Call 01822 820320
Lydford Gorge – Lydford, near Tavistock, EX20 4BH
SURROUNDED BY LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR
Tintagel Castle
For sheer atmosphere it is tough to beat Tintagel. The 13th century castle is a romantic ruin constructed on a windswept point of rock, with waves crashing all around. The castle is surrounded by Roman and Dark Ages remains, but more thoroughly surrounded by legends of King Arthur, who is said to have been born here. Alternate legends claim that Tintagel is the site of Camelot, Arthur’s court, though that honour is also claimed by a dozen or so places throughout the British Isles!
Call 01840 779200
Tintagel Castle – Bossiney Road, Tintagel, Cornwall – PL34 0HE
MOST POPULAR BOTANIC GARDENS
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey in Cornwall, are one of the most popular botanic gardens in the UK. The style of the gardens is typical of the nineteenth-century Gardenesque style, with areas of different character and in different design styles.
The gardens boast a fabulous collection of aged and colossal rhododendrons and camellias, a series of lakes fed by a ram pump over a hundred years old, highly productive flower and vegetable gardens, an Italian garden, and a stunning wild area filled with primaeval-looking sub-tropical tree ferns called “The Jungle”. The gardens also have Europe’s only remaining pineapple pit, warmed by rotting manure, and two figures made from rocks and plants known as the Mud Maid and the Giant’s Head.
Call 01726 845100
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan, Saint Austell, Cornwall, PL26 6EN
OVERLOOKING THE STUNNING PORTHMEOR BEACH
Tate Modern in St Ives
Tate Modern St Ives is undoubtedly Cornwall’s best-known art gallery, situated in a glorious location overlooking the stunning Porthmeor Beach.
The Tate not only shows the best of 20th Century art in the areas and atmosphere in which it was created but also has changing exhibitions of the best of contemporary Cornish art.
Call 01736 796226
Tate Modern St Ives, Porthmeor Beach,St. Ives, Cornwall TR26 1TG
ON THE FALMOUTH HARBOUR-SIDE
National Maritime Museum in Falmouth
The National Maritime Museum, housed in an award-winning building on the Falmouth harbour-side, transports you into the world of small boats and Cornish maritime history. Overlooking all of the hustle and bustle of Falmouth harbour, the National Maritime Museum Cornwall has been designed to reflect the relationship that has always existed between Cornwall and the sea using uniquely inspiring, interactive displays of boats and their place in the Cornish people’s lives.
Call 01326 313 388
National Maritime Museum, Discovery Quay Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3QY
SUITED FOR BOTH CYCLISTS AND WALKERS
The Tarka Trail
The Tarka Trail, over 180 miles in length taking a looping route through North and Mid Devon, from the rugged Atlantic Coast, the Estuaries of the Two Rivers of Tarka the Otter fame, the Rivers Taw and Torridge, through rural Devon Countryside onto the Northern Slopes of Dartmoor, and the source of the River Taw.
The Trail between Barnstaple, down the Taw, upriver to Bideford, following the Torridge to Torrington takes the route of a disused railway line and is particularly suited for both cyclists and walkers.
IDYLLIC GARDENS FOR RELAXATION
Buckland Abbey
Tucked away in its own secluded valley above the River Tavy, Buckland Abbey is almost as peaceful now as it would have been some 700 years ago when it was a small but influential Cistercian monastery on the edge of Dartmoor.
The house, incorporating the remains of the 13th-century abbey church, has rich associations with Sir Francis Drake and his seafaring rival, Sir Richard Grenville, containing many interesting memorabilia from their time.
Buckland Abbey encompasses both architectural and historical interest as well as idyllic gardens for relaxation, a magnificent monastic barn, herb garden, delightful estate walks and craft workshops.
Call 01822 853607
Buckland Abbey, Yelverton, PL20 6EY
BUILT BETWEEN 1485 AND 1627
Cotehele
At the heart of this splendid riverside estate sits the granite and slatestone medieval house of Cotehele, with many intimate chambers featuring large Tudor fireplaces and rich hangings. The house was built mainly between 1485 and 1627 and was home to the Edgcumbe family for centuries.
The formal gardens overlook the richly planted valley garden below, with medieval dovecote, stewpond and Victorian summer house, and 18th-century tower above.
Then there’s the steeply terraced garden with pools, dovecote and the Prospect Tower, a working watermill and adjoining estate workshops, industrial ruins in the Danescombe Valley and the Quay.
Interesting old buildings house the Edgcumbe Arms tea-room and an outstation of the National Maritime Museum. The restored Tamar sailing barge ‘Shamrock’ is moored alongside.
Call 01579 351346
Cotehele, St Dominick, Saltash, Cornwall PL12 6TA
THE WORLD’S LARGEST GREENHOUSE
The Eden Project
The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in the United Kingdom, including the world’s largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world. The project is located in a reclaimed Kaolinite pit, located 2 kilometres (1.25 mi) from the town of St Blazey and 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the larger town of St Austell, Cornwall.
Tickets are available for this world-famous attraction at the reception.
Call 01726 811911
The Eden Project, Bodelva, St Austell, Cornwall, PL24 2SG
ACRES OF BEAUTIFUL PARKLAND
Lanhydrock
Buried in the seclusion of the densely wooded Fowey valley and surrounded by hundreds of acres of beautiful parkland, Lanhydrock is eventually sighted after a good downhill walk through the attractive grounds. Lanhydrock is one of the most fascinating and complete late 19th-century houses in England and as you would expect, it is full of period atmosphere.
The gatehouse and north wing with a magnificent 32yd-long gallery with plaster ceiling have survived from the 17th century, however, the rest of the house was rebuilt following a disastrous fire in 1881.
The garden has a stunning collection of magnolias, rhododendrons and camellias, and offers fine colours right through into the autumn. All this is set in a glorious estate of 900 acres of woods and parkland running down to the enchanting River Fowey, with an extensive network of winding footpaths.
Call 01208 265950
Lanhydrock, Bodmin, PL30 5AD