Knightshayes Court is a Victorian country house in Tiverton, Devon, England, designed by William Burges for the Heathcoat-Amory family. Nikolaus Pevsner describes it as "an eloquent expression of High Victorian ideals in a country house of moderate size."
The house is Grade I listed.
The gardens are Grade II* listed in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
The gardens were designed by Edward Kemp but were much simplified in the 1950s and '60s. Sir John and Lady Heathcoat-Amory undertook much work in the gardens for which they were both awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour.
The estate includes a rare stické court dating from 1907. Other features include the extensive topiary, specimen trees, rare shrubs and the stables and walled kitchen garden.
Within the grounds on my visit were several pieces of Stag Artwork, which provide an extra dimension to viewing this beautiful country house.
Knighthayes Court - Further Information
The fortunes of the Heathcoat-Amory family were founded in the early nineteenth century. John Heathcoat was born into a Derbyshire farming family in 1783. An inventor of genius, he designed and patented a machine that revolutionised the production of lace. His manufactury near Loughborough was destroyed by former Luddites paid by unknown persons in 1816, he then moved his basis of manufacture, and a large number of his workers, to Tiverton, Devon and there established a lace-works which, by the later part of the nineteenth century, was the largest lace-producing manufacturer in the world.
By the late 19th century, the Heathcoat-Amory family owned much of the manufacturing and land around Tiverton, Sir John Heathcoat-Amory, 1st Baronet chose the site of Knightshayes, because from the site Sir John could see his factory in the distance, nestled in the Exe valley below.
Knightshayes Court has been in the ownership of the National Trust since 1973 and is open to the public.
@leggzy Than you again for your words of encouragement. The stags framework is made of steel and then willow is added to the framework.
(I expect they got the Willow from the next County, which is Somerset, where willow has long been harvested on the Somerset Levels)
(I expect they got the Willow from the next County, which is Somerset, where willow has long been harvested on the Somerset Levels)