Book Now! Peace & Tranquility ........ Dogs welcome .................. Nature & wildlife ............. Short Breaks .................... Children welcome ........... Experiences ....................... Guest Comments ..............

Gardens & Grounds at Dittiscombe

All the cottages have private gardens with lovely views of the valley. Most cottage gardens have some herbs growing in the borders or in pots, and guests are welcome to use these during their visit.

Willows front border All the gardens have areas of both lawn and gravel for sitting out, with garden chairs and tables, or picnic tables. The borders are filled with low-maintenance plants such as euonymus, spireas, magnolias, rose of Sharon and montbretia. Hedges and stone walls surround most cottages, and where possible we plant the cracks in the walls with navelwort, red valerian and aubretia for lovely displays in the spring and summer.

More detailed descriptions of each garden can be found on the individual cottage pages.

The Woodland & Meadows

A thrush in Dittiscombe woods Approximately ten acres of our valley is young woodland planted with mostly mixed deciduous native trees such as oak, beech, ash, cherry, field maple and spindleberry. Guests can meander through the wood along the cut grass path and into the glades and clearings. With natural thinning and storm damage we are able to cut and store the logs for use in the cottage woodburners.

There is a mixture of grassland, meadow and marshland for guests to explore. Red Valarian The wet grassy areas near the streams are home to many frogs and toads, and marsh thistles and angelica make a lovely display in the summer. The grass in the meadows is usually left uncut until August so providing food and shelter for moths and butterflies, lizards and finches. The wildflower bank displays cowslips, ox-eye daisies, marsh mallow, and wild carrot amongst many other plants during the spring and summer.

The Ponds

There are three ponds fed by springs from the sides of the valley. The ‘top’ pond by The Owlery is partly surrounded by a rockery planted with sun-loving plants such as cystis, euphorbia, aubretia, and hebe; by the ‘middle’ pond the statue of the Dittiscombe Angler waits for his fish, and guests can sit under the weeping birch and enjoy the rhododendrons, spirea, enkianthus and bottlebrush around the edges. The ‘lower’ pond is surrounded with willows and alders, giving shade and protection to wildfowl and small mammals.

In summer all the ponds erupt with wildlife: damselflies, emperor dragonflies, grass snakes, butterflies, moorhens, ducks, little grebes, are all drawn to the water and the surrounding vegetation which offers protection, nesting sites and food.

The Orchard

The orchard was re-instated in 1998 and planted with about 30 local cider, eating and cooking apple trees. The trees are pruned every winter and are now producing good quantities of apples from September onwards. Greengages and plums have also been added to the orchard. Providing there is a good crop in the autumn the eating and cooking apples are on offer, free, to our visitors.

Gardens to Visit

National Trust Houses & Gardens www.nationaltrust.org.uk:

Greenway house and garden on the River Dart: 'the loveliest place in the world', originally owned by Agatha Christie, now open to the public.
Coleton Fishacre near Kingswear, is a garden by the sea, with an Arts & Crafts-style house.

Overbeck’s is a luxuriant coastal garden overlooking the Salcombe estuary and surrounds an elegant Edwardian house with diverse collections.
Saltram near Plymouth is a magnificent Georgian house with opulent Robert Adam interiors, gardens, follies and landscape parkland.
Dartington Hall Gardens near Totnes is planted with great trees and connecting paths meander through woodland walks and past a number of sculptural features including a reclining figure by Henry Moore.
Blackpool Sands Garden is a 19th century sub-tropical garden with breathtaking views tucked in behind Blackpool Sands beach.

Garden Centres

Avon Mill Garden Centre is situated by the banks of the river, in the peaceful Avon Valley near Loddiswell. Visitors can choose from a wide range of plants, then drop into the cafe and delicatessen. There is also a wonderful scenic woodland walk from the centre which follows the old mill leat and Primrose Line Railway.
For further details visit their website: www.avonmill.com.