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Abstract:
As evidenced by cartographic, documentary and pictorial sources a small number of the more substantial houses of the region had established within their parklands sometimes quite elegantcarriage-drives. These were to give statement of status as well as an often ostentatious display; a personal awareness of the greater World. This was achieved by inclusion of such as mock temples, castellated ruins and similar forms of folly. A brief look at how the access drive of the lesser ‘established’ tried to represent, in their own scale, the formal approach to the main house and how the desire is still evident in the built landscape of today with approaches in miniature to modern houses. A general sweep of the area for examples of ‘drives’ for the families that occupied and beautified their homes with this form of appendage.: The detailed study is of the main carriage drive of Hartland Abbey which indicates how the landscape artist manipulated the natural features to provide a very individual product which reflected the gentrification of lifestyle, then the later decline in the country estate and the loss of some of these superb examples of landscape manipulation

Contents:

The following extract is section 6 & 7 of the larger piece produced for the University of Plymouth.

6, A Study of the Carriage-Drives of Hartland Abbey and their environs
National Grid reference - SS 238 247. NMR: Monument Number: 32375

Hartland Abbey is the centre of what was an extensive private agricultural estate from the time of the Dissolution. It is situated in a steep heavily wooded valley which runs east-west for some three miles culminating at the coast at Blackpool Mill (SS 225 256 GB Grid). The stream in the base of this valley is the confluence of the Abbey & Ford Rivers and all their minor tributaries. This system forms the main drainage system for a substantial central portion of the Hartland parish extending to Clovelly Dykes (SS 311 234 GB Grid), in the east, the Welsford basin in the south and the highland ridge that runs from Berry Farm east as far as Highdown in the north.

Although the estate is much reduced in land extent today, the essential surrounding land of the primary building has been retained. In the immediate surrounds it is well maintained, as would be expected for a heritage attraction, but in the farther reaches of the valleys the landscape and its features have been allowed to deteriorate. The estate shows many of the classic examples of ground improvements by way of plantings, remodelling and presentation associated with many of the country house estates of the south west of England. It is within this setting that the carriage drives exist.

6.1 History of the Abbey
The establishment of the Abbey can be traced to the confirmation of a translation by the Dinham family of an original group of secular canon into the Augustinian religious house in 1164 and endowed it with all the property of the canons plus additional lands from the Dinham manor of Hartland. The agricultural holding of Marcedon was retained as an initial religious house prior to the monastery being built in the valley. The building within the valley brought together a number of features, primarily; isolation, good supply of spring water, steady flowing river, shelter from the stormy south west winds off the Atlantic and beside an ancient track coming down from Cheristow . The monastery prospered and successfully filled its obligations right up until 1539 when, as with all such religious houses, it passed into a private estate at the Dissolution.

The Abbat family bought the estate for £640 in 1541 from the Crown. As was the custom the commissioners ‘decommissioned’ any building that had a religious use in an attempt to preclude any quick reversal of policy . It is quite possible that the Abbey church, cloisters etc were reduced to an uninhabitable state and that the new Abbat family ‘lived’ in what was previously the Abbots accommodation which ran parallel to the river on the south side of the valley.

No accounts of the Abbat family have survived from this transitional period, if they came with any substantial means or if they improved their position by judicious management of their new estate is indiscernible. However the family eventually failed in the male line and the estate, as happened with successive heirs of the Abbey, passed in the female line, first to the Luttrell family then again via the female line into the Orchard family .

The Orchard family, originally from Orchard, Somerset , were well settled at Aldercombe, Kilkhampton in north Cornwall. Paul Orchard married the Hartland Abbey heiress Mary Luttrell and they had one child, a son, who died in his first year. On marriage the combined Cornish and Devon estates formed a substantial investment and income sufficient to support Orchard and his family. After the death of his first wife Paul Orchard remarried secondly Mary the daughter of Sir John Suffolk, then thirdly Rebecca the daughter of Sir John Smith, Alderman of London from who she co-inherited a substantial portfolio of land and property . Paul Orchard (1) was an M.P. for Camelford, 1711-13, and Bossiney, 1714, he died in 1740 at Wincanton of smallpox. From the third marriage a son and heir Paul (2) came to inherit all the estates of his parents; although he married Bettina the daughter of Sir Robert Lawley, Bart, of Staffordshire they had no children. Paul (2) and his wife used their income to further enhance and enjoy their estate at Hartland.

The period between 1541 and 1710 is not well recorded in respect of the improvements of the buildings that formed the main house. On the marriage of Paul Orchard (1) and Mary (Luttrell) they commenced a programme of rebuilding. The west front was remodelled into a Queen Anne style and from illustrations of the time it would appear that any remaining monastery buildings were incorporated into the one structure essentially visible today . The estate remained substantial intact until the 20th Century the remodelling of the buildings and formation of extensive parkland from Orchard’s time included the construction of the access drives, the remains of which are still visible today. The focus of this research is not primarily the buildings themselves but the surrounding valley that formed the parklands, Map 1, p.31.

6.2 The environs of the Abbey
The surrounding landscape of the Abbey valley contains the physical remnants of the early land use. There are numerous tumuli, standing stones and earthworks, the detail within the Life of St Nectan hints at the turbulent past with reference to suffering caused by ‘Irish’ pirates and the artefacts relating to the worship of St Nectan. The Hartland Hundred had formed a part of the Royal Saxon landholding until granted to Gytha wife of Earl Godwin on their marriage. Recent investigation has started to reveal how extensive the early habitation of the Stoke area was , the field systems reveal substantial farming along the near coastal strip as far as the Cornish border with less intensity on the inland higher margins . The insertion of first the lands and building of a monastic house and later the manorial borough into the greater manor of Hartland transformed what could be seen as an area set aside for sporting activity in the extensive valley and coastal lands into a closely managed agricultural landscape.

The differentiation of land management between that operated by the monastic and that of the manorial landholders is evident in the development of the agricultural holdings held by each. The manorial were subject to greater agricultural use by way of division into multiple tenancies and eventually a more compact field system. The monastic presents a landscape that continued to have larger areas of open land, possibly for grazing of sheep, interspersed with small holdings. This landscape shows that the field systems were subject to later enclosures and present larger field sizes and an identifiable form of division.

The initial grant of the lands for the monastic indicates that the Dinham family gave this considerable thought and although complying with the general principal of the gift to a religious foundation, may not have been as generous in terms of assets as has been previously thought. The formation of the new boundaries shows an awareness of the need to retain, for the manor, the means by which it could continue to operate and in particular this is represented by the use of the rivers. The river water was made available to drive the fulling and grain mills of the manor, the woodlands were retained as manorial except in close proximity to the monastic land and the coastal strip was also possibly retained as sporting ground in conjunction with the extensive Deer Park. Similarly the land holdings which were under monastic tenure may not have been of the best ground available within the manor. Map 3, p.33.

6.3 The Abbey grounds
The contours of the valley floor from the east of Bow Bridge (SS 246 247 GB Grid) down stream as far as Blackpool Mill (SS 225 256 GB Grid) still show the evidence for a once meandering stream. At some point a decision was taken to contain the stream onto the south side of the valley, if this was due to periods of flooding in the valley or as a method of improvement of the land use or for religious usage, the result is the same. From a point approximately 200 metres east of the main monastic building range to an equivalent distance on the west side. The stream is contained within stone faced banks of up to five metres in height, within these can be found some miscellaneous building elements from the earlier monastic period, which evidences the containment was post-Dissolution in the area immediately adjacent to the main building range. To accompany the containment of the stream, the ground in the valley floor both east and west of the building range has been raised (from natural to +1.2 metres), in effect presenting a barrier to flooding on the east which results in the external ground level being above internal floor level. On the west the external ground level is slightly lower and would allow the escape of flood water if it ever arose. The working remnants of the drainage channels are still extant from the religious house.

The formal gardens which surrounded the house, c.18th Century, incorporated many pathways and features such as, flower or herb beds, vegetable plots and ornamental fountains, the later made use of the water management, possibly established by the monks, in providing a head of water below the north orchard. The west garden was contained within high walls while the east garden was laid out to take up the full vista of the length of the valley. The grounds have been subject to a number of garden designs, Figure 34, but are presently laid to lawns, with the house vegetable garden later sited in a small south facing valley off Shopshill road. This area also contains an extensive Victorian fernery . The valley sides have numerous areas of planting and incorporate a variety of water features and bog gardens all set within mature woodland.

6.4 Drive One
It is possible to see extant in the ground the presence of a driveway approaching the house from the west. Running centrally in the valley from the river bridge adjacent to the monastic fishponds and passing through a gateway into the west garden and approaching the house at its central western quadrangle.

This driveway was the route from the house into Stoke hamlet and the parish church, Figure 30. It passed over the river bridge and then up a gradual incline through the woods to the church stile at the north east corner of the churchyard. There is a suggestion that the driveway passed by the churchyard on its northern boundary and continued towards Hartland Quay although no evidence exists in the landscape to support this. Interestingly this drive runs for part of its distance almost parallel to an existing road which at some point was sunk into the substrata possibly to ease the climb up the valley, Figures 37- 38. The two drives possibly provide both a formal approach way and a more utilitarian service road between the Abbey and its Barton Farm (SS 234 245 GB Grid).

6.5 Drive Two
A further drive running west also complimented the Abbey parklands. This drive made use of the lane servicing Blackpool Mill, a lane which in earlier times was possibly of importance as the valley terminates at the Atlantic foreshore and at what is one of only two beaches in the parish upon which cargoes could have been landed without the need to climb a challenging cliff face. The use of the lane as a drive would represent enjoyment of ones surroundings as it leads to the sea, passing two small summer houses, a ruin and the old mill before reaching a small plateau which overlooks the beach. The Mill was probably established by the religious household to service its own manor farms thereby avoiding the duties levied by the Hartland Manorial Lord. This mill became redundant shortly after the Dissolution.

Both sides of the valley are covered in mature woodlands before a change into coastal scrub and then gorse. This western drive also crossed the river on the last downstream bridge in the valley before the drive wound its way up the valley side onto an area called the Warren. Here there was a pleasure house in which the Abbey family and guests could be entertained whilst enjoying the panoramic views over the parish and coast as far as Lundy and Trevose Head, Cornwall. This Pleasure House also provided a secondary purpose as it represented a romantic folly within the vista seen from the Abbey in the valley below (HER 37676 NGR SS2264225082).

6.6 Drive Three
In common with more modest habitations the Abbey also had a service road on the south side running from the main Hartland – Stoke road towards a small range of agricultural buildings, kennels and stables before finally approaching the main building range by way any of three bridges. This road continues to provide the informal access today. The main public road may have originally been the result of road improvements brought under a Turnpike Act where an improved access road from Hartland Quay to Bideford was established in the late 18th Century.

6.7 Drive four
The main façade of the building range, in secular times, has faced east and it is from this direction that the main or formal drive of the estate has always approached. It is possible that the old sunken track running west from Cheristow once went along the valley passing the monastery on its northern side before continuing westwards as access to Stoke and/or Blackpool Mill. After the building of Bow Bridge and a direct access onto the later improved Turnpike road this track became enclosed as the private road leading to the Abbey. If this is the case then the short private drive would have exiting onto the public road at ‘Shopswell’. This modest driveway became an essential part of the remodelling of the house and parkland; it is shown variously in illustrations with avenues of trees (see Figure 2, p.7) and was to be later extended considerably.

The date of this extension to the drive can be accurately dated at c.1760 in a property transaction between Paul Orchard (2) and the Governors of the Borough of Harton . This transaction details the leasing, for a period of 2000 years, to Orchard of three cottages, ancillary buildings and the bowling green. The records of the Borough detail that Orchard required this area for the construction of his ‘new’ drive. The bowling green was lost when the entrance to the new drive was created at what is now known as Springfield, but the buildings are still extant.

The fuller drive represents an extension of almost a mile to the original short drive and ran through a secondary valley into the town of Harton. It is not known if this drive followed an existing track-way, although this is unlikely, it would involve the building of five bridges and the diversion of the main Hartland – Stoke road.

6.8 The existing landscape
The landscape available to the owners of the Abbey estate presented a marked change since the Dissolution, gone was the wholly monastic, similarly the ancient Dinham manorial estate had, since 1501, been subject to four divisions and was in decline as a single entity. By judicious land management and no doubt changing times the owners were able to combine what may have been previously contentious land areas into an extended estate, see Map 3, p.33.

Water was a valuable resource as well as a permanent landscape marker used to delineate ownership within many Saxon charters . It would be reasonable to suggest that when the grant of lands to the religious household took place that the presence of the river in this valley formed a major consideration. The land owner deemed to retain sufficient water resource as could be possible whilst still providing the same for the religious house. Thus we can see that the river ran only through manorial controlled lands until it reached the Abbey boundary at Bow Bridge. This may also indicate that there was an early milling industry at or near the Hartland Mill (SS 248 247 GB Grid), site indicated on Map 4, p.34 thus the manorial lord was safeguarding the necessary water sources.

Paul Orchard had at Hartland Mill the choice of two valleys in which to construct the new carriage-drive, an east valley which would have run under Harton Town on the northern valley and could have exited on the new turnpike road at or close to Mettaford. This valley had mature ancient woodlands on its northern valley side, one of the twin leetes serving Hartland Mill, the Abbey workshops and sawmills on the southern slopes and ran through an extensive area of the extant northern deer-park. For the majority of its length it had well drained valley pastures. However the decision was taken to use the south valley from Hartland Mill.

This decision may indicate that the carriage-drive was undertaken prior to any decision of the improvements brought by the new Turnpike road as a drive constructed in the east valley could have exited at Mettaford and avoided Harton completely. This interestingly would have pre-empted the style of drive at Moreton, Bideford constructed by the Buck family who were later to inherit Hartland Abbey.
Map 1; Overview of Hartland Abbey Valley, Devon. 2006 © D.C.C mapping

Map 2; Stylised overview of the Abbey Estate. Map © author

Map 3; Land tenure, Map © author

This decision to use the south valley would present the designer with a more compact valley scenario, wet valley pastures, extensive woodlands and culminate in a prominent intrusive exit location within the centre of Harton Town.

6.9 The drive elements
The valley would appear to have remained particularly heavily wooded on the western slopes together with some areas that bordered the deer-parks. A walk-through survey of these areas has revealed that they indeed contain many features of woodland management, by way of tree stools and some minor pollarding, and indicate a prolonged time span of usage. The woodland floor has a profusion of bluebell, ransoms, snowdrop and primrose along with many forms of fungi and moss. Along the valley sides there are extant a substantial bank and ditch systems which delineates clearly the fuller extent of the woodlands and possible division into a managed woodland system. This bank and ditch system runs on the east valley side as far as Cutcliffe Lane (SS 251 242 GB Grid) and on the west right up to and past what is today known as Cuckoo Wood Cottage (SS 250 239 GB Grid) and previously was the Abbey gamekeeper’s cottage, Map 4.


Map 4; Land usage pre 1539 in the southern valley, NTS, Map © of author

The ending of the bank and ditch system at Cutcliffe Lane is significant as this lane formed one of the few track-ways between the north and south manorial grounds negating the need to traverse Abbey property. It would also indicate that the deer-park and the bank and ditch system are contiguous in date, probably early medieval; the northern and southern deer-parks where, prior to the establishment of the Borough and its lands in 1298, undoubtedly one extensive area which could have extended further westwards towards the coast pre the monastic foundation.

Within the woodlands on the eastern valley side are a small number of single banks, these would seem to align with divisions shown on the tithe map of 1846 and indicate that the land use had changed from woodland into agricultural and now back into woodland in part, see Map 4 and Appendix I.

The valley floor from the Mill pasture meadow on the western end until Cutcliffe Lane has little in the way of indicators to any previous usage and may well have remained as wetland scrub. Inspection of the river banks in this section reveal no sign of drainage channels such as exist in the Mill Meadow and further east in the valley pasture lands of the deer-park, see Figures 45-48.

The remaining valley passed through the deer-park and as such would have been previously well managed to preserve the game and the sport. It is however possible to delineate the extent of the woodland by substantial banks as it abuts the meadows. Not all of these banks, especially closer to Harton, retain their original proportions, as in enabling the construction of the carriage drive a certain amount of terracing took place.

The management of this landscape into an attractive area in which a substantial drive could be constructed required all the skills of the landscaper in managing the water tables whilst giving a perception of space, extensive land ownership and scenic views and all the while confined within what is a narrow often steep sided valley. It would have been and again today is obvious that copious amounts of water pass through or rise within the valley. It may not have been an attractive proposition to contain all of these within small open drainage channels, particularly during the dryer seasons. Therefore a method of containment and presentation was required. The initial stage must have been to control the path of the main river whilst acknowledging its purpose as a water source for the mill. The landscaper therefore contained the meanders in such a way as to disguise them as distinct bends in the river coarse and utilised each one as a river crossing point by the construction of a bridge and retaining scour walls. This allowed the drive to run almost central along the valley floor rather than hugging either of the valley sides.

The question of the rising water on either side of the drive was solved in two distinct methods. On the eastern side the formation of either one long or two smaller wetland ponds and plantings was created with excess water draining off into the river at the mill weir pool. Although this area is now overgrown there is still some evidence of the ornamental plantings struggling to retain their hold. The area between the drive and the river on the west side would drain naturally into the river and may well have been substantially a grassed pasture. There is some evidence of ornamental shrubs such as rhododendron and laurels in this area along with flowering cherry.

The more novel form of water management also involves the valley side on the west of the river. Here again an area of wetland seems to have remained largely untouched but as this area, within one section, would be adjacent to the drive a method of water management was needed. In fact it would appear that a substantial area of a side valley was partially dammed allowing the formation of a shallow lake for water fowl. A control sluice was placed in the tributary stream of this valley and a leete dug almost parallel to the ancient bank and ditch system. This leete also had a dual purpose as it collected water from numerous springs in the valley side and delivered a steady supply of water which was allowed to then fall back into the main river in the form of a gentle woodland cascade or waterfall.

As the construction of the drive was a statement of status, the eventual destination clearly has to fill this purpose and as the Abbey estate does not have any major highway within easy distance, the only location into which you can announce your presence is the town of Harton and where better than to be as prominent and central as possible. The previous reference to the purchase of land from the Governors of the Borough of Harton for this purpose may not seem of importance until its actual location within the town is acknowledged. Effectively this land held the only site that would fulfil the requirements giving access straight onto the main street in such a way as in future everyone would have to make a turn to avoid the drive access, a subconscious deflection to status.

To enable the drive to emerge at this point it would require an extensive amount of terracing into what was a steep incline; this involved a double terrace along the main section of the climb to avoid the appearance of an overhanging cliff. This is the only major transformation of the natural landscape in the valley as the remaining valley sides have retained their contours although a certain amount of excavation and fill may have occurred in the process of river containment. The existence of a small number of quarry sites through the valley would at first appear to be aesthetically displeasing, however although each was undoubtedly cut to provide the materials for certain features such as the bridges and retaining walls, some may have pre-existed the construction of the drive. If this is the case then their presence could be indicators of some lost features. This is particularly the case with the large quarry face within the deer-park, the stone could have been used for hedging purposes or could it have been the source of materials for the now lost hunting lodge that allegedly existed within the deer-park? Similarly the quarry adjacent to the mill weir may have been the source of stone for the mill itself or also the original Poorhouse both of which are within easy distance.

Having set the landscape into its presentable form then the landscaper had to utilise further tools to open the vistas where possible to break-up any claustrophobic tendency of the valley site; whilst at the same time including the expected elements of such projects. The clever use of creating views over land that was not necessarily part or parcel of that set aside solely for the environs of the drive was employed in certain sections of the valley.

Leaving the enclosed grounds of the original monastic land the drive followed close under an ancient track and woods which form part of the road towards Cheristow and ran parallel to the main river and its meadow. As these were part of the Mill ground then stock had to be confined to the pasture therefore a fence and a beech hedge was planted possibly alongside trees that existed on the original bank and ditch system. The drive turned to make its first river crossing at Glen Cottage, one-time home of the Abbey head gardener, at this point a number of specimen tress were planted primarily Scots pine, beech and horse chestnut and also allowed tantalising glimpses of the Abbey in the distance. A side estate track which ran east under Harton parted from the drive at this point but was disguised by way of heavy planting of laurel and rhododendron. It is today unclear either from any extant remains on the ground or from maps if the drive returned onto the main Harton – Stoke road at this point or if it passed under the road. However a new double span bridge was constructed in the late 19th Century at this point by Messer’s Clements of Bideford. It would be reasonable to suggest that in fact the line of the drive has not altered from its original position and that the new bridge was a matter of widening what may have been a rather narrow construction. The reasoning for this assumption is that the position and style of specimen planting in this area is such that they would have preceded the bridge works accepting that the drive may have been lowered into the ground slightly in the process (this area often floods which would have been unacceptable if it was part of the original scheme). Emerging from the arch into the Mill Meadow the drive is flanked by plantings of beech, oak and maple atop the cutting. This area is adjacent to the noise and bustle of a busy mill the Abbey workshops as well as the location of the parish Poorhouse. The later being on a slightly elevated position overlooking the valley, one would suspect that socially this would need to be concealed and indeed this is the case. The landscape, although it contained a number of good standards of oak and beech, has been under-planted by two banks of laurel and some rhododendrons thus masking the view for users of the carriage drive.


The planting of laurels continue as a single bank, although today further spread by runners, almost as far as the mill weir, this effectively masks the gardens, orchards and fields used by the Poorhouse occupants in this area. The presence of the mill leete with its small access path was acknowledged, as it ran slightly above the river bank in front of the laurels. The drive now passes through the wetland features, the woodland cascade emerged from the hillside on the west, the ponds and decorative specimen plants set amongst the mature woods of the old Abbey lands. It is as a backdrop to this that the use of a parkland view has been formed.

On the east valley side which is slightly less steep than that previous passed, the wood had been selectively felled and some specimen trees planted, again Scots pine and chestnut predominate. However this selection and planting has been undertaken to allow the view to extend across agricultural lands above the valley sides thus extending the view and giving a sense of space and ownership albeit over land in the tenure of others. This same method was repeated within areas of the old deer-park, as the main pasture land on the valley top had long been leased out; by selective felling and planting it was made to appear if this was still part and parcel of the greater estate parklands.

It is also possible to indicate that extensive amounts of woodland were cleared, as a return made in the Dean Jeremiah Miles survey of Devon parishes includes the statement that Mr. Orchard was felling so much timber as to leave little in the valleys. This should not be seen as destruction just to provide a new drive but as a necessity to provide timber for the extensive building works at the Abbey, Berry House and other projects. To accompany this observation the Abbey Document Archive contains a land deed for an area of land adjacent to Cutcliffe Lane and Harris’s Hill which contains an inventory of the quantity and value of timber within this area, Table 3.

The final area of planting was the meadow and the incline into Harton. Specimen trees of oak, beech, black lime, horse and sweet chestnut under-planted with laurels line the drive at this point; the laurels once again serving the purpose of masking the view of the backs of town houses as they cling to the distant valley side. The drive now reached its culmination and entered the town between a pillared gateway and beside a lodge house onto an open area in the centre of the habitation area just off but directly in line with the main street.

7, Conclusion
Hartland Abbey should be seen as the seat of a substantial County family, the second largest owners of land in 1872 and holders of many positions of authority. That such a property should have a substantial carriage drive would have been expected. The choice of location for the primary drive in the southern valley indicates a desire to pronounce the importance of the owner of the estate both to invited house guests and to the populace of the greater region. The location of the access from the centre of the town substantiates this desire. If the eastern valley had been chosen then an exit onto the turnpike road at Mettaford would not have had the same impact.

The decision to use the southern valley did present a challenging contract to the designer, not the best of grounds, an abundance of water and a narrow steep valley. That the final design fully achieved a workable solution should be fully accredited. In all the creation of a pleasant sheltered drive of approximately one and a half miles passing through a seasonally colourful setting which made use of the necessary industrial elements of water control and undoubtedly moulded the passing valley sides into a continuous changing scene.

This was a superb landscaping achievement taking what may at first appear to be a canvas that had limited possibilities, through terrain that was unpromising. To create what was the essence of a countryman’s craft of management of the given landscape to produce a visually exciting project which allowed all the surrounding industrial and agricultural process to continue unheeded, while allowing the occupants of the carriages to travel in privacy and present to their guests what must have been a personal object of pride in overcoming these difficult features provided by nature.

The inclusion of aspects of the sporting life of the estate by way of a shallow flooded valley for water fowl, the access to the gamekeepers facilities where the hunt kennels where situate, the stables being adjacent to the main Abbey property. It is known that the owners hunted over extensive tracts of the parish and the double use of the carriage-drive in this aspect no doubt was an advantage in perceived status to the owner.

The secondary drive from the house to the coast is a fine example of ones enjoyment of the surroundings; few could argue that the use of the area known as The Warren for the construction of a Pleasure House gave one of the most spectacular vistas in north Devon. A feature repeated in the remodelling of Berry Farmhouse being undertaken at the same period of time for the family. Berry should be considered as an early example of building design orientated to enjoyment of the location as opposed to purely functional purposes.

However changing financial fortunes of the 21st Century for the Buck/Stucley family have brought significant changes to the estate. The unforeseen effect of death duty resulted in the need to dispose of large areas of the greater estate, particularly in north Cornwall. The Changes in affordability of employment lead to a substantial reduction in the numbers of indoor and outdoor staff a consequence of which was the lessening in the ability to maintain the fuller estate.

The main drive extension is gradually being reclaimed by nature and soon little will be evident to display the pleasure that was once derived from its use. It was a feature of the time, for which there is little call today, the passing of the slower methods of transport into the fast world of today gives no time for a leisurely drive at the start of a long journey and thus the Hartland Abbey drive, alongside many similar examples, are consigned into history to be replaced by what was often the practical service drive to a property in a startling re-grading of status.