2016

SX9372 : Climbing east in Homeyards Botanical Gardens, Shaldon

taken 8 years ago, near to Shaldon, Devon, England

Climbing east in Homeyards Botanical Gardens, Shaldon
Climbing east in Homeyards Botanical Gardens, Shaldon
This steep north-facing hillside shows abundant Coltsfoot.
Mrs Homeyard's Shaldon legacy

The Homeyard name recurs in Shaldon. Maria Laetitia Kempe Roberts married the entrepreneur William Homeyard in 1907. He made his fortune from a cough remedy 'Liqufruta' which was manufactured in Camberwell for over 30 years. The couple both had West Country roots and from 1921 owned a second home, 'Ness Cottage' at the eastern end of Horse Lane above Shaldon. William died aged 73 in 1927; his gravestone in St Nicholas' churchyard, Ringmore, is inscribed ATURFUQIL.

Now a wealthy widow, the energetic Maria invested some of her fortune in property development in Shaldon. The village at that time was confined to the flat riverside land; Maria built on the steep north-facing hillside above. In less than 10 years she built 54 houses. The first project was up the Torquay Road: four semi-detached bungalows called Cartref around 1929. Just down the Torquay Road came The Hamiltons: eight large chalet-style houses for professional families. For workers she built Homeyard Cottages, terraced houses in blocks of four and six above and behind North View. East of Homeyards along to Horse Lane Maria developed a new road, Broadlands, lined with bungalows (much altered since).

The building works and all the associated transactions and procurement created work for local tradesmen and professionals in the lean 1930s. At the same time she had the Camberwell factory rebuilt; she laid out her public pleasure gardens, the Homeyards Botanical Gardens along the hillside, with the neighbouring allotments. Maria died in 1944 and the Ness Cottage Estate was sold in 1945.

All this and more may be found in the booklet 'Aturfuqil's Shaldon' by Lisa Pash, driving force behind the restoration of the Botanical Gardens.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Robin Stott and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Coastal Lowlands Village, Rural settlement Park and Public Gardens Place: Shaldon Postcode District: TQ14 other tags: Steep Hillside Public Gardens Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Shaldon [789] ·
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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Grid Square
SX9372, 1904 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Robin Stott   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Sunday, 13 March, 2016   (more nearby)
Submitted
Sunday, 4 September, 2016
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SX 9363 7207 [10m precision]
WGS84: 50:32.3218N 3:30.1446W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SX 9359 7208
View Direction
East-southeast (about 112 degrees)
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Image Type (about): geograph 
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