Knightshayes

Knightshayes is a Victorian country house and estate near Tiverton, managed by the National Trust. The house was built in the 1870s for the Heathcoat Amory family, who made their fortune in textile manufacturing. Architect William Burges designed the building in Gothic Revival style, creating dramatic interiors with medieval-inspired decoration. The gardens, developed through the 20th century, combine formal terraced areas with extensive informal plantings and woodland.

The house interior

Burges’s design for Knightshayes included elaborate decoration throughout, though much of his most ambitious work was removed or never completed after disputes over cost and style. What remains shows his vision: vaulted ceilings with painted decoration, carved woodwork, patterned tiles and stained glass. The library preserves Burges’s Gothic bookcases, while the drawing room retains his decorative scheme with its painted ceiling and ornate fireplace.

Later generations modified the house to suit changing tastes, creating a layered interior that shows different periods and approaches. The Victorian rooms contrast with simpler 20th-century family spaces. Guides and information materials in each room explain what you are seeing and how the house evolved. Most rooms are furnished as they were during the mid-20th century when the family last lived here.

Gardens and woodland

The gardens descend the slope below the house in a series of terraced areas, each with different planting schemes. Formal areas near the house give way to looser, more naturalistic planting further out. The garden is known for its rare trees and shrubs, many grown from seed collected by plant hunters in Asia. Spring and autumn are particularly good times to visit when flowering bulbs and autumn colour are at their peak.

A walled garden houses a formal pool and topiary. Beyond the main gardens, woodland paths lead through areas planted with specimen trees and managed for wildlife. The estate extends to around 1,260 acres, with waymarked walks through parkland and woodland. A circular walk takes about an hour and offers views back to the house and across the Exe Valley.

Visiting arrangements

Knightshayes opens most of the year, though the house has more restricted opening than the gardens. Check the National Trust website or phone 01884 254665 for current opening times. National Trust members enter free; admission charges apply for non-members. Facilities include a restaurant, shop, plant sales and toilets.

The estate lies two miles north of Tiverton, signposted from the A361. Free parking is available. House access involves stairs and the gardens have slopes, though the National Trust has created level routes through some areas. Mobility scooters can be borrowed; contact the property in advance to reserve one. Dogs are allowed in the parkland on leads but not in the house or formal gardens.