Holiday in Devon, Friday 28th March  -  Friday 4th April 2014

Drum Cottage, Liverton, Near Newton Abbot, Devon.

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Day 5 - Tuesday 1st April 2014

Today was a mild, sunny day with some sea mists affecting coastal places such as Brixham.  We drove down to Brixham and parked on the Breakwater car park. After a cup of coffee for Edwin (Elaine was feeling delicate) in the nearby cafe, we walked along the harbour quay to the centre of the town. There was not much happening - boats being prepared for the season, some children building rafts, a few people line fishing. We explored the immediate town, bought some lunch for Edwin, and returned to the car park where said lunch was consumed. Elaine had some fruit and a drink. 

                    Brixham        Brixham  Brixham Harbour    -  A Brixham Trawler moored and a replica of The Golden Hind.

After lunch we drove along to Coleton Fishacre, a 1920s house built for Sir Richard D'Oyley Carte, owner of the Savoy Hotel group, the Savoy Theatre and the D'Oyley Carte Opera Company.  It is a very pleasant house which is very liveable in the current time. Perhaps lacking in bathrooms, but very comfortable. There is very little original furniture but the house was the subject of a very comprehensive article in the Country Life in 1930, just a few years after it was built in 1925-1927.  NT have been able to obtain good replacements for many of the furniture pieces.  The D'Oyley Carte family lived in the house (it was mainly a weekend and holiday home) until it was sold by Rupert D'Oyley Carte in about 1948.  The new owners lived in it until 1982 when it was bought by the National Trust.

            Coleton Fishacre     Coleton Fishacre       Coleton Fishacre       Coleton Fishacre        Coleton Fishacre        Coleton Fishacre    

Front elevation, bedroom interiors showing reproduction furniture specially made for the NT to furnish the house as it would have been originally.

           Coleton Fishacre     Coleton Fishacre      Coleton Fishacre       Coleton Fishacre      Coleton Fishacre   Kitchen scenes and the servants' dining room.

Coleton Fishacre       Coleton Fishacre      Coleton Fishacre      Coleton Fishacre   Radiogram in sitting room, Weather map and wind speed dial in dining room

Coleton Fishacre      Coleton Fishacre    Garden features - rill to channel stream, steps between bottom garden and loggia level.