Lindridge

The following is from the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. For the most up-to-date Register entry, please visit the The National Heritage List for England (NHLE):

www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list

An early 20th century garden of formal terraces by Edward White and informal pleasure grounds planted by Robert Veitch & Son around an early 17th century house (destroyed by fire in 1963) set in parkland of 17th or early 18th century origin.

Location, Area, Boundaries, Landform and Setting

Lindridge is situated c 2km north-west of the village of Bishopsteignton and c 0.5km north-west of the hamlet of Humber. The c 63ha site comprises some 7ha of formal and informal gardens and kitchen gardens, c 35ha of parkland, and c 21ha of woodland. To the north-east, east and south the site is bordered by Humber Lane, a minor road leading from Ideford c 1.5km to the north-west to Kingsteignton c 2.75km to the south-west. Agricultural land enclosed by traditional hedge banks adjoins the site to the north, north-west and south-west, while to the west a finger of plantation, King's Wood, extends c 1.25km from the south-west boundary of the park on a north-west-facing hillside. The site rises to the north, north-east and south-east, while a valley extends south-west from the site of the mansion through the park. From the terraces west and north-west of the house there are extensive views westwards towards Dartmoor.

Entrances and Approaches

The site is approached from Humber Lane which forms its southern boundary. Opposite its junction with the road leading south-south-east to Bishopsteignton, a high, early C20 concave rendered wall with piers surmounted by ball and strapwork finials flanks square gate piers with moulded caps, supporting elaborate early C20 wrought-iron gates (all listed grade II). North-east and outside the gates stands a single-storey early C19 lodge (listed grade II), while south-west and inside the gates stands an early C20 single-storey rendered lodge (listed grade II). The gates, wing and screen walls, and south-west lodge form part of a 1920s scheme for Lord Cable which was incomplete at his death in 1927.

The tarmac drive extends c 250m north-west on high ground with views north across the park and gardens to the house, before descending to meet the south-west drive c 400m south-west of the house. Turning north-east the drive passes through an early C20 gateway comprising square rubble-stone piers with ball finials (rebuilt late C20) and continues generally level, retained above the park to the north by a low stone wall with semicircular bastions c 190m and 100m south-west of the house. Approaching the site of the mansion, the drive turns south before ascending c 80m north-east on the line of the former service drive, to reach the late C20 houses in the former walled garden.

The south-west drive shown on Donn's Map of Devon (1765) approaches the site from Lindridge Hill c 1km north of Kingsteignton and passes through King's Wood, initially following a stream to the north for c 1km to a point opposite Whiteway Barton. Thence the drive, now surviving as a woodland track, climbs gently, to emerge c 600m south-west of the house at a point giving views across the park to the house. Former lime kilns, overgrown rocks and a quarry c 1km south-west of the house provide a picturesque incident on the south-west drive as it passes through King's Wood. As it approaches the principal drive at a spacious junction c 400m south-west of the house, the final 180m of this drive is enclosed by C19 metal estate fencing. A late C19 or early C20 double, curve-braced timber gate with vertical rails partly survives adjacent to a late C20 gate marking the entry of the drive into King's Wood.

From the road forming the northern boundary a drive extends c 250m south-west through an avenue of limes to approach the former stables north of the house. The north entrance is marked by concave stone wing walls flanking square gate piers with moulded pyramid caps, and an early C20 two-storey brick and tile lodge which stands to the east of the gate. A drive runs 400m south-east from the former service quarters north of the house to Home Humber, the former home farm, adjacent to the site boundary.

Principal Building

The late C20 structure taking the place of the C17 mansion destroyed by fire in 1963 is constructed in red brick under a slate Mansard roof, and comprises two storeys with attic dormers. The C17 mansion as remodelled and clad in brick by James Ransome c 1916 was of three storeys under a Mansard roof with round-headed attic dormers, and had a well-defined entrance on the west facade. The present structure is not constructed on the footprint of the earlier building but stands c 20m further west. The central feature of each facade does not relate to the central axes of the gardens below.

Gardens and Pleasure Grounds

Early C20 formal gardens and informal pleasure grounds lie to the south, south-west, west and north-west of the principal building. The formal terraced garden to the south, known as the Italian Garden, is separated from the building and an early C20 stone-flagged and balustraded terrace, lily pool and stone steps by the late C20 drive which is bordered to the south by an early C20 stone balustrade. Semi-circular stone-flagged steps flanked by low rusticated piers with ball finials descend to an axial flagged walk which extends c 50m through two terraces, to reach the pool garden on the lowest terrace.

The upper terrace is laid out with two symmetrical plats whose geometric beds are divided by narrow flagged walks leading to central stone pedestals, now (1999) lacking their early C20 figures. Semi-circular stone steps descend to the second terrace, which is divided into four grass quarters by cruciform flagged walks meeting at a central, octagonal, stone-kerbed pool. The terrace is enclosed to east and west by low rubble walls with recesses, originally containing stone seats, aligned on the cross walk. Herbaceous borders surround the garden, and are separated from the lawns by flagged perimeter walks. Topiary shapes flank the east and west ends of the cross walk, while low right-angled yew hedges enclose the outer corners of the lawns. Topiary peacocks on stepped yew plinths flank the south end of the central walk, but similar topiary to the north does not survive. Tall, rusticated stone piers with ball finials flank a double flight of shallow stone steps descending to the pool garden on the third terrace.

Enclosed by high, buttressed yew hedges forming a circular enclosure with arched entrances leading east and west, the pool garden contains a circular stone-kerbed pool surrounded by a flagged walk. In the centre of the pool, reached by low-arched bridges from east and west, a rounded, octagonal, rusticated stone island with four lead lion-mask spouts (one missing 1999) on its angled faces and ball finials at its angles, supports a late C20 inaccurate recreation of the Ionic rotunda shown in early C20 photographs. The early C20 rotunda designed by Ransome was removed in the 1930s on the advice of Edward White who considered it too dominant; a vista was cut through the surrounding evergreens to the park (CL 1938; R P Benthall pers comm, 1999). South of this garden, and framed by massive yew hedges, tall, rusticated stone piers with ball finials support elaborate early C20 wrought-iron gates surmounted by a wrought-iron overthrow. Arched entrances in the yew hedge west of the pool garden lead to the water garden, an area of informal planting with specimen trees and shrubs. A rocky stream fed from a leat descends a north-facing slope to a pool and water garden.

A gravel path traverses the slope, crossing the stream on a rusticated single-arched stone bridge. The gravel path reaches the leat c 160m south of the house, and follows it north-west as a terrace walk above the informal gardens. The Water Garden has been restored in the late C20. West of the house a grass terrace with an early C20 circular stone-edged pool forms the domestic gardens of apartments in the late C20 structure, replacing the early C20 carriage court. A yew hedge and early C20 brick and stone-coped terrace walls to the west have been retained. Semicircular stone steps descend to lawns separated from the park to the west by fences. North-west, at a higher level and approached by a late C20 sloping path, a terrace and lawn is supported by a rubble wall with a semicircular bastion c 100m west of the house giving views across the park.

Parallel to the terrace wall, a stone-kerbed rectangular swimming pool was developed in 1925 from an earlier serpentine pool (OS 1887). Originally c 50m long, the swimming pool has been reduced by infilling c 30m at the south-east end to form a late C20 rose garden with a central gravel walk and rose arches. At the south-west end of the pool, c 100m west of the house, an early C20 stone temple with a pediment supported on four Ionic columns, stands on a flagged base, its interior infilled with late C20 painted timber panels to form a changing room. A grass bank planted with four Irish yews north-east of the pool rises to a lawn, whence serpentine gravel walks extend north and north-east through C19 informal pleasure grounds with specimen trees and shrubs (OS 1887). A ha-ha forming the north-west boundary c 130m north-west of the house allows views north and north-west across parkland, now (1999) pasture.

A former byre c 170m north-west of the house has been converted in the mid C20 to a dwelling. An adjacent quarry, The Dell, was developed in the 1930s as a garden with collections of primulas, alpines and dwarf rhododendrons (CL 1938; R P Benthall pers comm, 1999). North-east a mid C20 hard tennis court has an early C20 timber and tile-roofed pavilion at the north end. A water tower c 100m north of the house supports an unusual early C20 observation pavilion with a timber gallery and fretwork balustrade under a pyramidal tile roof.

South-east of the informal gardens an early C20 pergola overlooks a terraced south-facing grass slope. Extending c 50m west from an arched entrance and early C20 wrought-iron gate in the former kitchen garden wall, the timber superstructure is supported on square rubble-stone piers. Shaped brackets frame openings at the west end, and in the centre of the north and south sides. A flagged walk within the pergola, flanked by low stone walls, leads west to mid C20 stone steps descending to the swimming pool terrace. The west end of the pergola was originally enclosed by a low wall, forming a viewpoint. To the south, shallow curved steps lead south-east and south-west down the south-facing slope, meeting at the midpoint of the lower terrace and continuing through two further grass-banked terraces as an axial flight of steps to reach a yew hedge north of the former carriage court. East of the former walled garden, grass slopes with a scatter of mature trees have been landscaped with late C20 rock gardens.

Park

Lying to the west, south and east of the house, the park remains pasture with scattered groups and individual deciduous trees. To the south-west a shallow valley extends from the boundary of the gardens through the park, while to the south the park rises with groups of trees on the higher ground. The park south-east of the house is now (1999) agricultural land, but an ornamental plantation on the Humber Lane boundary c 420m south-east of the house survives, together with ornamental trees c 350m south-south-east. The trees in the park are significantly reduced in number since the late C19 (OS 1887), when traces of a formal arrangement of avenues west of the house appeared to survive. A programme of replanting has been undertaken in the late C20.

Kitchen Garden

The extensive kitchen garden north of the house and stables is now (1999) the site of several late C20 detached dwellings. The rubble-stone walls c 2.5m high survive to north and west, and in part to the south and north-east. Some 100m east of the house, an early C20 part-walled garden survives in a derelict and overgrown condition. At the west corner a semicircular screen wall c 2m high composed of closely spaced tall brick balusters is pierced by gates leading north-north-east and north-east which are closed by an early C20 wrought-iron gate supported by rusticated brick piers with stone bases for large ball finials (missing 1999). A stone-flagged terrace (mostly removed, 1999) outside the garden is retained by a stone-coped buttressed brick wall and overlooks a circular garden with a central stone-kerbed circular pool (infilled and partly covered by spoil, 1999). Stone-flagged steps ascend from the lower garden to the north-east gate which leads to an overgrown box-edged path extending c 50m north-east within the garden to a perimeter walk. The interior of the garden is heavily overgrown with young sycamores.

REFERENCES

R Polwhele, The History of Devonshire II, (1793-1806), p 149

W Hyett, Guide in a Tour to the Watering Places (1803), p 49

D and S Lysons, Magna Britannia: Devon II, (1822), p 492

Country Life, 84 (8 October 1938), pp 356-360; (15 October 1938), pp 378-382

J Inst Landscape Architects, (March 1952), p 13

W G Hoskins, Devon (1954), pp 338-339

Lindridge Park, guidebook, (Lindridge Park c 1962)

B Cherry and N Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Devon (1989), p 185

T Gray, The Garden History of Devon An Illustrated Guide to Sources (1995), pp 141-142

Maps

B Donn, A Map of the County of Devon, 1765

Tithe map for Bishopsteignton parish, 1839 (Devon Record Office)

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1887, published 1891

OS 25" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1888, published 1890

2nd edition revised 1904, published 1905

Illustrations

R Polwhele, Lindridge the Seat of the Revd J Templer, 1793 (1671Z/Z1), (Devon Record Office)

Archival items

F W L Stockdale, MS History of Devon, early C19 (Devon and Exeter Institution)

Templer family papers, including estate and personal papers, late C18 to mid C20 (1503; 2415/M/E47-57), (Devon Record Office)

Newspaper cuttings relating to Lindridge, 1962(3 (3942M/Z2), (Devon Record Office)

Sale particulars, 1962 (1070), (Devon Record Office)

Description written: February 1999

Amended: August 1999; May 2000

Edited: July 2000