The Pasture, Gardens and Pleasure Grounds, approx 19 acres. Produce from the ¾ acre walled garden, orchards and associated dairy farm once fed the whole household. You can see the remains of the greenhouses with their heating systems and cold frames, the ancient (and tottering) espaliered apple and pear trees, submerged water tanks and a ‘frost window’. The very un-square shape of the walled garden and its proximity to the house suggests it possibly pre-dates the 1805 building. The apple loft and root store is topped with a bell to ring workers in for meals, the bell rope runs to the scullery. Extensive cellars under the house once stocked cider and fine wines, a blocked doorway intriguingly points to the possibility of a former ice house. The woodland walk takes you on a path along the perimeter of the property overlooking the Exe river with a number of large specimen trees planted in the grounds including a Lucombe Oak and Monkey Puzzle. There is a gatekeepers lodge (once the residence of the under gardener), a gardener’s loo, remains of head gardeners office and sheds (much dilapidated). The Head Gardeners cottage and the farm are no longer part of the estate, they sold off in separate lots in 1946 but can be seen from the top of the walled garden.

We are embarking on a long process of restoration, our vision is to restore the gardens to working life as a slice of horticultural history using both modern and period methods and plants. Aware of the awesome scale of such a project (we need an army of volunteers to help) we are nonetheless undaunted, we think it is exceptional to come across a garden like this that has been so little changed, and we love it. We are delighted that the Devon Gardens Trust have deemed the garden to be of historic significance and included it in their listing. Last year we began to open the garden to visitors (starting with NGS) and we have been encouraged and assisted in this project by the generous advice and assistance from many gardeners and experts in history of gardening. Your visit to Ashley Court helps let it live for a new generation of people, plants and animals, you are most welcome to see it grow.