Pond Cottage, Endsleigh, Tamar Valley in Devon
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To reach Cornwall you have to cross the "border" which to its southern side is marked by the River Tamar as it flows from near Bodmin Moor in the north into the English Channel at Plymouth. This Landmark Trust property overlooks Cornwall but is located on the Devon side, in a deep valley down a private driveway beyond an elegant Hotel to a little piece of England's finest scenery.
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There are two Landmark owned properties on the estate, one at the top of the wood and the other by a pond just above the River Tamar.
"This most naturally beautiful stretch of the River Tamar (Turner, among others, sketched here and called it ‘altogether Italian’) was chosen by Georgiana, Duchess of Bedford as the setting for a new house; between 1810 and 1816 both Humphry Repton and Jeffry Wyatville played a part in shaping it, and in placing suitable buildings within it."
One such rustic building was our little home for 4 nights.
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"Pond Cottage (above) has a Rustic porch, with tree-trunk columns and honeysuckle, and cosy rooms. There is a sunny loggia for outside dining; the tiny model Dairy stands nearby, from whose verandah you can enjoy more views of the spectacular arboreal planting and watercourses of the gardens.
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The Dairy, (below) which had to be rescued from the undergrowth, is perched on a knoll above, a cool chamber of marble (a local variety) and ivy-leaf tiles."
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Here are some photos of Pond Cottage, notably the supporting tree trunk pillars of the front porch
I've been photobombed again
And the general setting
The Kitchen - Day Room
Tea and a Note of Welcome from the House Manager
The setting of the property and its Dairy fit perfectly beside the pond and stream
An enclosed logia for those on outdoor activities
In 1814 Humphry Repton (1752-1818) was commissioned by the 6th Earl of Bedford to design the garden landscaping to what is now the Endsleigh Hotel and the 2 Landmark Trust properties.
Repton’s plan was for an exciting, almost alpine terrain, with plenty of deliberately created viewpoints and a network of tantalising paths and steps, some leading up to a rockery or down to a pool (in his words, ‘to add glitter to the scene’) and some fading mysteriously away into the undergrowth.
Brent Tor is just 10 minutes drive from Endsleigh and is well worth a visit.
A beautiful church stands atop Brent Tor and is visible for miles around: a filming location for Jamaica Inn, Brent Tor is an iconic Dartmoor sight and stands 1100 feet above sea level.
The church is known as St Michael de Rupe is the main parish church of Brent Tor. It is one of the iconic landmarks of West Devon. Founded in 1130 by the local landowner Robert Giffard, St Michael’s is the fourth smallest parish church in the UK, and is, we believe, the highest working church in southern England. They hold a regular service of sung Evensong at 6pm in the spring and summer, and occasional services all year round.
There is a car park at the bottom of the hill and a grassy path through fields of sheep to the churchyard entrance.
Entering the church after a stout climb to this height on a wild day was a mind-blowing experience
Much nearer our front door was the Old Dairy as it was perched on its own grassy knoll next to Pond Cottage.
I hope you have enjoyed looking at hese photographs of yet another Landmark Trust property. It was such a pleasure to stay there.
