What a Week!

It was all systems go last week as we hosted our first major event in the archive as the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) joined us for a day of lectures. The keynote speaker was Charles Brooking who gave a talk entitled ‘Period Architectural Details’, this was followed by a short talk on the decorative plasterwork at Shilstone by Sean Wheatley. After a light lunch and chance for discussion the attendees were then treated to a tour of Shilstone itself, guided by one of our consultant archaeologists, Robert Waterhouse. The day was a tremendous success and everyone enjoyed the event, we hope it will be the first of many!

SPAB members beginning their tour of Shilstone in the courtyard of the Devon Rural Archive.

Our consultant archaeologists have also been busy visiting historic properties and writing reports on their development. Sarah explored Hazelwood, a C19 estate near Lodiswell and found it to be ‘a wonderful example of Victorian landscape and estate design’. Meanwhile, Abi investigated the ruined mansion of Fowlescombe, again near Loddiswell and was delighted to reveal its development from the C16. The Fowlescombe report appears on their website, http://www.fowlescombe.co.uk/, alternatively why not pop into the archive and read this report and the many others written by our team. We are open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30am to 3pm or by appointment.

Hot off the press... We have just received the second journal of the The Devon Gardens Trust `which includes an article by Abi entitled ‘Devon Rural Archive: a New Research Resource’. Check it out.