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Killerton
House and Gardens
The Killerton estate is first mentioned in 1242. It is believed that the name
originated with a family named Kildrington. In the Elizabethan period the estate
was sold to the Acland family, who owned the adjoining property at Columb John.
In the late 18th century Sir Thomas Acland, the 7th Baronet, decided to move the
family seat to Killerton.
The architect of the new house was
John Johnson, who was instructed by Sir Thomas to build a temporary residence
until a more elaborate home could be built on he hill above the site. As it turned
out, Sir Thomas's son died shortly after, in 1778, and he abandoned plans for
a second mansion. The house was remodeled and expanded several times over the
subsequent centuries, but it is essentially the same building that Johnson planned. Pride
of place in the interior is the Killerton costume collection. The first floor
of the house is given over to the collection, which displays a fresh set of 7000
items each year. The estate is immense, stretching to over
6400 acres, including working farms and 240 cottages. Of these, almost 30 are
of medieval origin, including Marker's Cottage. The cottage boasts an excellent
medieval painted screen with an unusual mix of secular and religious themes.
An 18 acre hillside garden
within 4000 acres of woods, originally created at the time the house was built
by Scotsman John Veitch. Veitch was an interesting character; the story goes that
he walked from Edinburgh to London to look for work. He found employment as a
nurseryman, and Sir Thomas Acland asked him to create a garden at Killerton, improving
on the natural landscape. Veitch and his son James created
a network of woodland paths and planted varieties of foreign trees and shrubs,
including Wellingtonia. Because of its mild climate Killerton was used as something
of a trial ground for plants brought back from all corners of the globe, and many
plants which are now found throughout the British Isles were first planted at
Killerton. Later the influential Victorian garden writer William
Robinson had a hand in the design of the Killerton gardens. Killerton is famous
for trees and shrubs. There are a series of terraced beds, with dwarf shrubs and
copious rhododendrons. Circular walks through the woods provide for an enjoyable
outing. Above the house is a "clump" or hillfort
dating to the Iron Age. The hill, also known as Dolbury, is reputed in folklore
to be protected by the Killerton Dragon, which every night flies between Killerton
and Cadbury Hill to keep safe a hidden treasure. The estate
at Killerton, as well as that at Holnicote, was given to the National Trust by
Sir Richard Acland, whose left-leaning political beliefs precluded his ownership
of such a vast tract of land. Details
Killerton
Broadclyst
Exeter
Devon
England
EX5 3LE
Location: 7 m NE Exeter, on B3181
Website: Killerton
Email: killerton@nationaltrust.org.uk
Phone: 01392 881 345
Fax: 01392 883 112
map
OS SS977 001
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