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Summary

The first of Exeter’s notable nurseries was William Lucombe’s at St Thomas founded on this site in 1720. The nursery became Lucombe, Pince & Co in the 1820s. In 1912 Exeter City Council bought the site and converted part of it into a pleasure ground.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• NURSERY GARDEN (XVIII to XIX - 1701 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Exeter Nursery' shown on the west side of Alphington Road, including a large number of glasshouses. The nursery possibly originally extended further north. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Exeter Nursery' shown, however many glasshouses have been removed and Waterloo Street and Wellington Street are being laid out with a small number of houses built.

Ordnance Survey, 1930 - 1939, Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV336668.

Exeter Nursery is no longer shown, and the area is occupied by Pinces Pleasure Ground, allotments and housing. A small area of glasshouses adjacent to Alphington Road is marked 'Lansdowne Nurseries'.

Clark, J. + Richardson, D., 1999, Pinces Gardens (Un-published). SDV357345.

The first of Exeter’s notable nurseries was William Lucombe’s at St Thomas founded on this site in 1720. The most famous introduction was the Lucombe Oak. The nursery became Lucombe, Pince & Co in the 1820’s. Their catalogue (c.1870)featured an illustration of part of their Italian garden. The nursery, shaded by fine old Lucombe oaks, was famous for its ’Wonder of the West’ strain of cinerarias, calceolarias, and an extensive rockery. In the nineteenth century the nursery was renowned for its vast glasshouses packed with orchids, gardenias and rare palms. The nursery was sold in 1890 to The Exeter Nursery Company. In 1912 Exeter City Council bought the site and converted it into a pleasure ground.

Wood, T., 2013, The Beginning and the End of Lucombe, Pince & Co., 31-35 (Article in Serial). SDV357346.

In 1794, John Lucombe had possession of a nursery on Alphington Road, later known as the Exeter Nursery. In 1801 Benjamin Pince became a partner in the business, and by 1807 the nursery enterprise was trading as 'John Lucombe, Pince & Co. At this time they bought the adjoining nursery of William Ford and Son on Alphington Street. In 1824, John Lucombe sold the business to Captain Robert Pince for £1500, to include 'five acres of nursery land on Alphington Road, with two glasshouses, a counting house and other buildings'. The nursery flourished under his son Robert Taylor Pince, who also became known as a designer, and laid out gardens at Marley Hall, Exmouth and Sea Grove House, Dawlish. The nursery began to decline in the late 19th century, and the site was sold to the city of Exeter in 1912. Part of the land became Pinces Gardens, a public park, part allotments and the remainder housing.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Map object based on this source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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