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Summary

The Hermitage is a 19C summerhouse at Bicton Park with a pond, rockeries & waterfalls to the south

Location

Protected Status

• Registered Park or Garden (I) 1000338: BICTON

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NE/13/3
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SUMMERHOUSE (XVIII to XXI - 1751 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

NMR, SY08NE57, 57 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV130668.

Ordnance Survey, 1906, 93NE (Cartographic). SDV102677.

Ordnance Survey, 1963, Ordnance Survey 6 inch map (Cartographic). SDV166087.

Department of Environment, 1987, Bicton, 7 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV114376.

The Hermitage probably c1840 including pond, rockeries and waterfalls to the south. Brick walls and stack, decorated, roof of shaped oak shingles and oak chimney shaft. Good interior. See DoE list for full details

English Heritage, 1987, Bicton, LBS No 86208 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV323722.

The Hermitage at Bicton Park including pond, rockeries and waterfalls to the south. Summerhouse with pond and waterfalls close by. Probably c1840. Brick walls and stack, all clad with tiny fishscale shingles and rustic reeded frieze and plinth made of narrow vertical strips of wood with rounded faces; roof of shaped oak shingles and oak chimney shaft. Small but exceptionally picturesque summerhouse facing south comprising an octagonal room with end stack and pyramidal roof flanked by narrow gable-ended wings which are entrance lobbies. Single storey. Romantic and rustic in style. Symmetrical front. The main room has canted sides and contains fixed pane windows, a front 3-light window flanked by 2-light windows. All have flat architraves made by short round rods and they contain irregular patterns of stained glass, apparently made up from fragments of older windows. A frieze made up of strips of wood includes crudely made motifs such as rifles, crossed swords and flags. The soffit of the deep eaves is similarly finished. The pyramidal roof with its small cap have oak ridges enriched with small quatrefoils and the shingles have shaped edges with small bosses on top. The apex is surmounted by a rustic cross. The wings each side have porches front and back projecting as far as the main room. The open gables have fish scale shingled bargeboards surmounted by rustic finials and are supported on similarly clad octagonal posts with abaci and bases. The doorways have simple architraves and the soffit of the porch roof and space over the doorways has patterns made up of strips of wood and features motifs such as a crown and griffin. The rear elevation is similar to the front except here the stack projects square from the main room (also clad) and has a narrow oak chimney shaft rustically carved. Good interior, remarkably intact and complete with original furniture. All the interior walls and the roof are lined with dark brown basket-weave wicker-work. In the main room the floor is made up of tiny bones, apparently deer. The small fireplace has a granite surround containing panels of crude vermiculated rustication. Above it is the Rolle arms which, like the apex boss, is made from strips of wood. The rustic furniture comprises an octagonal table, its top also patterned with strips of wood and chairs of various sizes made up of turned timbers. Also a couple of probably African ethnographic trophies. The Hermitage stands on a terrace from which a flight of stone steps descend to a long stone-lined pond on a lower terrace and below them are 2 small rockeries with waterfalls. In the left (western) one a natural stream has been divided into several channels as it passes through a rockery planted with dwarf Welsh conifers and at the right end the middle channels join to form a small waterfall into a semi-circular pond whilst the outer channels flow round the outside to a drain. The right (eastern) rookery includes 3 waterfalls. The Hermitage is a lovely example of a romantic and rustic summerhouse set in the finest landscaped gardens in Devon, which also includes the Rolle family house, Bicton House (q.v.) and a number of fine listed buildings such as the Orangery (q.v.), Palm House (q.v.) and the furniture of the Italianate Gardens (q.v.).

English Heritage, 2003, Bicton House, Devon (Register of Parks and Gardens in England). SDV323703.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 1994 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Bicton House. Late 18th century mansion with extensive wings and outbuildings. Original mansion and park built 16th century on site of County prison. Now agricultural college. Listed Grade II*. 16th century deerpark Listed Grade 1. Features of interest (many with Listed Building status) within the extensive grounds include summerhouse, lodge gateposts, Palm House, Orangery, formal gardens and parkland, grotto, 19th century stone circle, forge, icehouse, ponds.
SMR.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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