In celebration of Humphry Repton

In 1814 Humphry Repton, the celebrated landscape designer of the day, created his last Red Book for the 6th Duke of Bedford; a device he used to present his garden designs to his clients, and so called because of the colour of the binding.

Humphry Repton had been seriously injured in 1811 in a carriage accident and was an invalid when the Bedfords asked him to consider the gardens at Endsleigh.  He was carried around the valley in a sedan chair, painting the landscape and planning the vistas. On the front page of his red book he wrote: 'It is impossible to divest myself of the feeling that the most picturesque subject on which I have ever been professionally consulted, should have been reserved for so late a period of my life'. Humphry Repton died four years later in 1818 leaving his sons to carry out his plans.

To celebrate the two hundred years since the red book for Endsleigh was created, we have invited a number of notable award winning garden designers to talk to us.  Non residents are most welcome to come and hear them speak and enjoy a cocktail with us. The talks are open to non-residents for £25.00 per person, or £65.00 per person to include a seasonal dinner.  For more detail please click here.

Friday 28th March at 6pm Olga Polizzi

Saturday 29th March at 6pm Stephen Woodhams

Friday 4th April at 6pm Olga Polizzi

Saturday 5th April at 6pm George Carter

Friday 11th April at 6pm Alan Titchmarsh

Saturday 12th April at 6pm Arabella Lennox-Boyd

Circa 1860, here Endsleigh has taken on a mantle of climbers giving the house the rustic picturesque atmosphere that Humphry Repton envisaged. Today, you will find an impressive array of champion specimen trees planted by the subsequent Dukes of Bedford, adorning the valley with an air of tranquility. There is a feeling of seclusion as if in a secret garden with breathtaking views across the Tamar. 

Contact us to book a place at the talks and/or take a tour of the gardens. 01822 870000

Magnificent Magnolias

We are blessed with some stunning Magnolia specimens at Hotel Endsleigh and this year due to the warmth of our climate they have so far escaped the frosts and thus finally been allowed to fully bloom.  In fact I cannot remember the last time they managed to do this.



Here we have the Magnolia campbellii with it's wonderful display of huge pale pink flowers. Also known as the tulip tree this Magnolia has to be 20 years old before it will flower.










This breathtaking specimen close to the Hotel is Magnolia stellata or star magnolia. Native to Japan this species will flower when it is very young and has the added bonus of being slightly scented and is the gateway to walking the Dairy Dell, where you can also see an outstanding example of a Magnolia obovata.






The last couple of weeks the gardeners have been busy clearing the storm debris with a chipper and from the fallen branches they gave the Hotel's florist armfuls of carpet moss and she created this stunning bench still with the ferns growing within it.



The gardens are now looking wonderful and the 9000 bulbs that were planted in the Autumn especially for our Repton Celebrations are almost open and it will be a matter of days now before the Tulips will burst open and show off.