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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.

Created: Wed, 29 Aug 2012, Updated: Wed, 29 Aug 2012