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| Knightshayes Court, Devon - front entrance |
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| 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.
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The ornate entrance with beautiful wood panelling
and plenty of stuffed animal heads |
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| A Juliet balcony rising above the grand entrance hall |
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| Richly decorated wood panelling on the ceiling |
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| More of the magnificent ceilings |
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| Details of the ceiling, as seen from a mirror |
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| A work of art |
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| A sideboard of magnificent proportions |
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| 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.
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| The animals leaping on top of the hedge |
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| A less formal garden ideal for quiet contemplation |
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| More flying pigs? |
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| 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
