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Summary

A 1920s terraced garden with an entrance drive off Oxlea Road to the north, the southern boundary formed by Lincombe Drive. The gardens were designed in the late 1920s-early 1930s by Fred Harrild and comprise a series of limestone terraces with ponds, an orangery, a circular lawn with a central sundial and a gatehouse with a portcullis. Now in divided ownership.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1393661: CASTLE TOR
• Listed Building (II) 1206820: TERRACED GARDENS AND ALL ASSOCIATED GARDEN BUILDINGS AT CASTLE TOR
• Registered Park or Garden (II) 1000131: CASTLE TOR

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX96SW/58
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 390737
• Torbay HER: MTO32493

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• GARDEN (Early 20th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1928 AD (Between) to 1934 AD (Between))

Full description

Harrild, F., ?1920s, Glen Gorse (Illustration). SDV365985.

Copies of drawings of the house and terraced gardens.

Torquay Times Reporter, 1950, 'Glengorse' is in the market (Article in Serial). SDV365983.

House overlooking five walled terraces built mainly of Somerset stone and covering about 2.5 acres. Designed by Harrild, a pupil of Lutyens. The design included a new entrance from Oxley Road. Feature mentioned in the article include archways, lily ponds, a wrought iron gate in the form of a peacock and a well with an iron fox climbing on a bucket looking up at a bunch of grapes as in Aesop's fable.

Unattributed, 1960, It's still like a fairy castle... (Article in Serial). SDV365984.

Attractive house with stone-terraced gardens. Each of the five terraces has its own special feature including lily ponds, fountains, a columned sun lounge, a medieval style tower and a well featuring an iron fox and a bunch of grapes reminiscent of one of Aesop's fables.

English Heritage, 1987, Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England (* Torbay Register). SDV362544.

The 1920s terraced gardens of Castle Tor, Torquay were designed c 1928-34 by Fred Harrild; the entrance drive to 'Castelo de Sol' is from Oxlea Road on the north side, the south boundary is formed by Lincombe Drive. The gardens of almost 1ha. comprise a sequence of limestone terraces, extending east-west for roughly 100m and are reached from the entrance drive via steps and circular archways on the west side of the house. The pond garden has a circular pool in a square enclosure. The main terrace with an orangery overlooks the elongated east-west pool, with formal stepping stones across and a lawn to the south. The circular lawn, with a central sundial and a circular enclosing terrace wall has a. tower on its south side. The third terrace is enclosed on the south by an elaborate gatehouse with portcullis containing a fountain pool with dragon gargoyles. The lowest terrace is enclosed by wrought iron railings along Lincombe Drive.

Ordnance Survey, 2024, Mastermap 2024 (Cartographic). SDV365834.

Historic England, 2024, National Heritage List for England,
1206820 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365835.

Terraced gardens and all associated garden buildings at Castle Tor. Garden with terrace retaining walls, flights of steps, pergolas, paving and ponds, fountains, a well and garden ornaments, an orangery, a lookout tower, a gatehouse and railings etc c.1929-34 by Fred Harrild for H Pickersgill. Coursed limestone rubble from Somerset with freestone dressings.
PLAN: four terraces on a steeply-sloping site overlooking the bay, with terrace retaining walls with a slight batter and castellated pargets which break forward on corbels.
EXTERIOR: tower terrace has a medieval-inspired gatehouse with a portcullis, machicolations and arrow loops. The flight of steps through the gatehouse archway rises to the next terrace, which has an ornamented wall and a fountain in the form of a nicely-stylised dragon gargoyle, cast in lead. The terrace above has a round tower overlooking the gatehouse below, with a similar dragon gargoyle. This level is the main terrace and the linear pond and circular garden at the end are keyhole-shaped on plan. The long canal-like pond with stepping stones across, is overlooked by an orangery with a Tuscan colonnade and flanking niches. At the end of the pond is a complicated flight of steps to the next terrace. At the other end of the terrace an arched opening in the retaining wall leads to stairs in a shaft which rises to the terrace above. At this level there is a small formal sunken garden with pergolas supported on Tuscan columns. The sunken garden is situated beside the contemporary house (Castle Tor), which is not included in the listing. On the other side of the house a flight of steps rises to the top level through a series of circular arches which frame a vista down to the sea. There are only vestiges of the original planting including some of the topiary and box hedges but the structures are completely intact including the decorative wrought-iron railings at the lower boundary with Lincombe Drive.
Date first listed: 18th April 1985

Historic England, 2024, National Heritage List for England, 1000131 (National Heritage List for England). SDV365835.

Castle Tor. A late 1920s terraced garden around a contemporary house, with architectural elements including terraces, pools and an orangery designed by Fred Harrild, and planting schemes and design details attributed to George Dillistone of R Wallace and Co, Tunbridge Wells.
See listing description for full details.
Date first listed as a Park and Garden: 12th August 1987

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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