Glorious Devon - Killerton House

Our first visit was to Killerton House, a modest country house of no particular distinction save for the fact that it came across as a warm family home. It was a short distance from Chagford and as it was threatening to rain, we thought it best to take cover until the rain receded.

Killerton House, Devon

Masses of wisteria drape the front of the house
A sight to behold

A rather grand staircase

My favourite - exquisite embroidery on a small chair

The gardens as seen from the house

in the languid rain

a slender tree shivers

delirious with life

- a haiku from an unknown poet - 

Glorious Devon - Knightshayes Court

Knightshayes Court, Devon - front entrance

Knightshayes Court, back of the house

The National Trust bills this as one of the finest surviving Gothic Revival houses. The original owners of the building were the Heathcoat family who made their money in lace. The family started the lace business in Loughborough but after the factory was destroyed, John Heathcoat moved his business to an unoccupied woollen mill in Tiverton, Devon. Apparently his workforce walked 200 miles to join him at Tiverton. It was the grandson John Heathcoat Amory who commissioned the construction of the house; the designer was one eccentric William Burges, and his flare is reflected in this Victorian Gothic masterpiece.

The ornate entrance with beautiful wood panelling
and plenty of stuffed animal heads

A Juliet balcony rising above the grand entrance hall

Richly decorated wood panelling on the ceiling

More of the magnificent ceilings

Details of the ceiling, as seen from a mirror

A work of art

A sideboard of magnificent proportions

A unique gong

The vast garden, which was the Heathcoat Amory family's great passion, is renowned for its rare trees, shrubs and seasonal colours. The garden has been tended to with great care  and the hedges, in straight and curved lines, have been clipped with precision. It was an awe inspiring garden - the layout, the plants, the colours and the spectre.

The animals leaping on top of the hedge

A less formal garden ideal for quiet contemplation

More flying pigs?

A formal garden and the lilies were budding

Here's another haiku to close:

spring's lips, moist with rain 

kiss away the winter snow 

while conjuring spring

The magnificent Lanhydrock, Bodmin, Cornwall

The magnificent Lanhydrock

The crenelated gatehouse 

Precision topiary at the entrance to the house

One of the finest country houses and estates in Cornwall, superbly set in wooded parkland of 450 acres, with beautiful herbaceous borders, a fabulous formal garden and colorful higher gardens filled with rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias, Lanhydrock offers a glimpse of life in the Victorian era. From the richly furnished main rooms reflecting Victorian comfort to servants’ bedrooms, the great kitchen and the Nursery Wing, the 49 rooms contain numerous laminated cards with interesting factoids of all descriptions showing what life was like “upstairs” and “downstairs”. There was a card on the behavior of demanded of the maids which can be summed up as: “speak only if spoken to and briefly”.   

Through the crenelated 17th century gatehouse, one enters the magnificent grounds with precision clipped topiary standing nearly 20 feet high. This was the home of the Roberts family – later to change their name to Robartes, who rose in affluence from their interests in the tin trade, as merchants and bankers. By early 17th century, the head of the family Richard Robartes rose to sufficient prominence to be knighted as Baron Robartes of Truro, which, according to history, cost him £10,000 in 1624.

The principal rooms all have beautifully worked plaster ceilings, including that of the Long Gallery with magnificent illustrations of Old Testament scenes.

The Long Gallery - 35 metres in length with
one of the most ornate plaster work ceilings in England

The spacious drawing room full of Victorian clutter

The children's classroom

An engineering masterpiece - the spit roast in the kitchen

An ornate brush and pan

Stuffed animal heads abound

A beautiful Meissen mirror,
a wedding gift

But by far the greatest feast for my eyes are the profusion of spring flowers. The woodland area on the approach to the house was ablaze with bluebells, their delicate blue casting a spell on a magical spring day.

The magical bluebells, my springtime favourites

The delightful symmetry of a formal garden

Sights and sounds of spring

And here's a simple haiku on the joys of spring with my loved one:

Carpets of bluebells

Fiery corals and rubies

Dance of the season

Food, glorious food at Gidleigh Park

Make no mistake, this is a 2 Michelin star restaurant, and we came back especially for the food. We've eaten at 3 Michelin star restaurants before but found them to be rather stuffy. Gidleigh Park strikes the right note, food is fun rather than reverence; the plates look beautiful without being too much of the untouchable fine art; the staff welcoming without being too formal.

We chose the 8-course tasting menu and here they are, frame by frame. Since I chose to have my food without butter, cream or cheese, the restaurant offered me substitutes. All the photos were taken on my iPhone 4S, without a flash.

A trio of amuse bouche

A trio of amuse bouche

Lobster with curry sauce

Duck liver terrine

Smoked fish, my least favourite dish

Duck, medium rare

Filet of beef with ox cheeks

Dessert

Dessert

Simple dessert, lovingly assembled

Breakfast. Two perfect poached eggs

The food was delicious, and so was the wine. By the time the 5th course was eaten and cleared off the table, I was beginning to wonder where I could find the space for 3 more courses. Such a memorable meal, such a memorable evening, and such wonderful company.

Back to Gidleigh Park, Devon

This is a beautiful place, from the surroundings to the place and to the food. We came here two years ago, skipped a year, and came back to find the place, the staff, the welcome and the food, all a delight.

Travelling along the single track road where there are only passing places perhaps every 500m, we were welcome by the wild flowers growing out of the crevices of stone walls - among them in profusion are the bluebells that are my spring time favourites. Last time the dirt tracks were flooded at places but this time the weather was much kinder. And when we saw the notice "Take heart, you are on the right way" we knew we were not too far away from the hotel. The front of the hotel remains as impressive as ever - it is a rather grand country house.

Gidleigh Park, Devon

The front of the hotel & restaurant

The beautiful acer at the front of the hotel

This time we found our way to the back of the hotel to visit the water garden. Hidden in the woods, it was an enchanting place: the rush of the water, the chirping of the birds and otherwise the serenity of nature. 

Man made small waterfalls, Gidleigh Park water garden

Water garden, Gidleigh Park

More of the water garden, Gidleigh Park

Blazing azaleas at the water garden

It was such a restful break, away from the pressures of work, from the tyranny of the phones, and to be with my loved one. I can still hear the sound of the stream and the singing of the birds. We will be back one day, and I hope soon.