Coleton Fishacre facts for kids
Coleton Fishacre is a beautiful house and garden in Devon, England. It covers about 24 acres (97,000 square meters) and is designed in the Arts and Crafts style. This special place is near Kingswear and has been looked after by the National Trust since 1982.
The House: A Home with Style
The house at Coleton Fishacre was built as a country home for Rupert D'Oyly Carte and his wife, Lady Dorothy Carte. Construction took place between 1923 and 1926. The architect, Oswald Milne, designed the house with simple shapes and excellent craftsmanship, following the Arts and Crafts ideas.
The inside of the house also shows the style of its time, especially with its Art Deco look. The building is made from local slate rock with a roof of Delabole slate. The house has even been featured in Country Life magazine, showing off its beautiful design and gardens. The property stretches all the way down to the sea, where there are some smaller buildings.
Lady Dorothy Carte eventually lived in the house as her main home. After her divorce in 1941, her daughter, Bridget D'Oyly Carte, took care of the house. Her father, Rupert, would visit from London for long weekends. Bridget sold the house in 1949 to Rowland Smith, who owned the Palace Hotel in Torquay. Mr. Smith and his wife, Freda, kept the property in great condition until he passed away in 1979. Today, the house is a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historic place.
The Amazing Garden
The garden at Coleton Fishacre stretches down a narrow valley, called a "combe," from the house all the way to the sea at Pudcombe Cove. Lady Dorothy originally planned and planted this garden. It has many rare and unusual plants from all over the world. These plants can grow here even though they are usually found in warmer places. This is because the Gulf Stream ocean current helps keep this part of Devon's coast mild.
Lady Dorothy was known for finding exotic plants for her garden during her travels abroad. The Cartes had a team of six gardeners to look after the garden, which was more people than they had to run the house! The garden is also a Grade II* listed site in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, showing how special it is.
Protecting Coleton Fishacre
The National Trust took over Coleton Fishacre in 1982. They acquired it as part of their "Project Neptune," which aims to protect the coastline. One goal was to help complete the South West Coast Path in that area. The garden was opened to visitors right away. The house was rented out for a while before the National Trust finally opened it to the public in 1999. Now, many people can visit and enjoy this wonderful historic home and garden.
See also
- D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
- Gilbert and Sullivan
