Endsleigh, Devon

Historic Landscape Survey, Conservation Plan and Heritage Lottery Funded Restoration of Grade 1 Registered Site

Endsleigh, overlooking the River Tamar, is a Picturesque masterpiece arising from a Regency collaboration between the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, the architect Sir Jeffry Wyattville and the landscape gardener Humphry Repton. The estate is Registered as a Grade 1 historic landscape and forms the setting to seven Grade 1, three Grade II* and three Grade II listed buildings.

Wyattville designed the house and stables in the style of the cottage ornee along with several other picturesque buildings, whilst Repton made proposals for the new gardens and improvements to the wider estate. As an example of Repton’s work, Endsleigh is quite outstanding, not only because it remains so well preserved, but also because his work at this site is particularly well documented.

Endsleigh is internationally famous for its arboretum which contains well over 1000 specimen trees of arboricultural and historical importance, including at least 14 “champion” trees.

We were commissioned to carry out a detailed survey of the whole 70 acre historic landscape. Our work included thorough historical research, a comprehensive field survey of the gardens and grounds and a survey of the tree collection.

We prepared a 7 year programme of repair works funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This included detailed design and specification of repair works and planting designs. We coordinated and managed implementation of the project which was carried out partly by contractors and partly by garden staff. Our works included proposals for the enhancement of existing visitor facilities, including information boards and leaflets and for increasing visitor numbers.