Killerton on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The manor of Columbjohn in the parish of Broadclyst was purchased by Sir John Acland, MP and
Killerton information at the National Trust
*
Wikidata list of paintings on show at Killerton House
{{Authority control Hill forts in Devon Roman fortifications in Devon Gardens in Devon Country houses in Devon Grade II* listed buildings in Devon Grade II* listed parks and gardens in Devon National Trust properties in Devon Veitch Nurseries Museums in Exeter Historic house museums in Devon Fashion museums in the United Kingdom Grade II* listed houses Roman fortified camps in England Historic estates in Devon
Killerton is an 18th-century house in Broadclyst,
.
Exeter
Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...
, Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
, England, which, with its hillside garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...
and estate, has been owned by the National Trust
The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
since 1944 and is open to the public. The National Trust displays the house as a comfortable home. On display in the house is a collection of 18th- to 20th-century costumes, originally known as the Paulise de Bush collection, shown in period rooms.
The estate covers some 2,590 hectares (25.9 km2, 6,400 acres). Included in the estate is a steep wooded hillside with the remains of an Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
hill fort
A hillfort is a type of fortification, fortified refuge or defended settlement located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typical of the late Bronze Age Europe, European Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, Iron Age. So ...
on top of it, known as Dolbury, which has also yielded evidence of Roman occupation, namely a triple-ditched Roman fort or marching camp which is still visible in aerial photographs, despite heavy ploughing within the hill fort.
Killerton House itself and the Bear's Hut summerhouse in the grounds are Grade II* listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
s. The gardens are Grade II* listed in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England
{{R from move ...
{{R from move ...History
The manor of Columbjohn in the parish of Broadclyst was purchased by Sir John Acland, MP and High Sheriff of Devon
The High Sheriff of Devon is the Kings's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...
. Shortly afterwards, in 1612, the adjoining estate of Killerton was purchased by his nephew Sir Arthur Acland of Acland in the parish of Landkey
Landkey is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. The parish has a population of 2,302 according to the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 census. It is situated from the nearest town of Barnsta ...
. The present Georgian Killerton House was built by Sir Thomas Acland, 7th baronet, in 1778. The chapel was built in 1738 to the designs of Charles Robert Cockerell
Charles Robert Cockerell (27 April 1788 – 17 September 1863) was an England, English architect, archaeologist, and writer. He studied architecture under Robert Smirke (architect), Robert Smirke. He went on an extended Grand Tour lasting sev ...
.
The garden was created in the 1770s by John Veitch, one of the leading landscape design
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practiced by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice, landscape design bridges the space between landscape architecture and garde ...
ers of the time. It features rhododendron
''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...
s, magnolia
''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...
s, herbaceous border
A herbaceous border is a collection of perennial herbaceous plants (plants that live for more than two years and are soft-stemmed and non-woody) arranged closely together, usually to create a dramatic effect through colour, shape or large scale. ...
s and rare trees, as well as an ice house and early 19th-century summer house
A summer house or summerhouse is a building or shelter used for relaxation in warm weather. This would often take the form of a small, roofed building on the grounds of a larger one, but could also be built in a garden or park, often designed t ...
. The surrounding parkland and woods offer several circular walks. Plans attributed to William Sawrey Gilpin
William Sawrey Gilpin (4 October 1762 – 4 April 1843) was an English artist and drawing master, and in later life a landscape designer.
Biography
Gilpin was born at Scaleby Castle, Cumbria on 4 October 1762, the son of the animal painter Saw ...
(1762-1843) for a new drive from Killerton to Columbjohn (1820) were not implemented. A short play about the meeting between Veitch and Gilpin was commissioned by the National Trust
The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
to be performed in the gardens of Killerton in mid 2016.
Killerton was given to the National Trust by the British politician Sir Richard Acland
Sir Richard Thomas Dyke Acland, 15th Baronet (26 November 1906 – 24 November 1990) was one of the founding members of the British Common Wealth Party in 1942, having previously been a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP). He joined the Labour ...
, 15th Baronet in 1944, and in September 2015 the National Trust commissioned a short drama to be staged on the site entitled ''The Gift'', written by Eileen Dillon, telling the story of Sir Richard's decision to hand over his estate.
Lost house
In 2016 an archaeological dig discovered what is believed to be a footprint of an intended replacement home to the current Killerton. Reports believe that this is what has been known in history as the lost house of Devon, of 240 years, designed by architectJames Wyatt
James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the Neoclassicism, neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to ...
. It is within the grounds a shortish walk from the current site, and its existence was obscured by a copse
Coppicing is the traditional method in woodland management of cutting down a tree to a tree stump, stump, which in many species encourages new Shoot (botany), shoots to grow from the stump or roots, thus ultimately regrowing the tree. A forest ...
that looks to have been deliberately planted to hide it.
The National Trust has placed woodwork in the four corners of what is believed would have been the corners of the intended property. They have also placed a door and frame on what they believe would have been the entrance to the intended billiard room. Killerton's information boards on the site state that there is an intention for further archaeological digs in the future.
References
External links
Killerton information at the National Trust
*
Wikidata list of paintings on show at Killerton House
{{Authority control Hill forts in Devon Roman fortifications in Devon Gardens in Devon Country houses in Devon Grade II* listed buildings in Devon Grade II* listed parks and gardens in Devon National Trust properties in Devon Veitch Nurseries Museums in Exeter Historic house museums in Devon Fashion museums in the United Kingdom Grade II* listed houses Roman fortified camps in England Historic estates in Devon