Tapely Park stands in a superb position overlooking the estuary. It’s an attractive imposing but elegant ‘Queen Anne’ style Georgian villa of brick with stone pilasters, parapet and a pediment, sitting above the impressive terraced gardens.
The owner, Hector Christie, had a reputation as an eccentric young aristo, but in recent years he seems to have put all that behind him, and since featuring in Channel 4’s “Country House Rescue” has made efforts to run the house and estate as a proper business. As evidence, there are now two websites, one for weddings, the other for garden visitors.
My nephew lived at Tapeley for a while, and helped build the “Straw Bale” house which stands in the grounds. As the name suggests, this is a small environmentally friendly building constructed of straw bales.
Besides the formal Italianate gardens, there are kitchen gardens, nature gardens, and when I visited, various animals including pigs.
The interiors apparently are of note, featuring a grand staircase hall and also several good fireplaces and plaster ceilings. At the back and upstairs, and in the big kitchen, the rooms definitely had what one could kindly call a period, lived-in look.
Website (for garden visits): http://www.tapeleygardens.com/