Visit to Coombe Trenchard

Nineteen members of the Garden Club, complete with umbrellas, set off from Halwill Junction one evening last year for a visit to the beautiful Edwardian Arts and Crafts house and gardens of Coombe Trenchard. They were met by the owner, Sarah Marsh, who gave them a potted history of the garden and the restoration work that had been carried out over the past 3 years. Members then set off to tour the gardens before returning to the house to view some of the downstairs rooms. The house was completed in 1906, using Arts & Crafts architect Walter Sarel and Devon builders Dart and Francis. It was a radical design for the time and the craftsmanship was second to none. The woodwork inside is of particular interest. Fortunately all those umbrellas worked and the rain stayed away until the visit had finished.