Bradfield

One of the largest mansions in Devon, the seat of the Waldrons from the thirteenth century to the early twentieth century. It is deceptively nineteenth century in appearance from the south but its core is a late medieval hall. The Tudor character was reinstated in the restoration of c.1860 by John Hayward for Sir John Waldron. White (1850) noted that it was a ‘fine antique mansion with pleasant grounds”. Stockdale described it as “an interesting mansion having been lately almost rebuilt in the Tudor style”. The 1904 & 1906 OS shows parkland with two formal avenues on the axis of the house; a long drive extends to West Lodge with a shorter drive to East Lodge but The Avenue continued into the parkland beyond. Woodland surrounds the park. There was an Old Icehouse in lcepit Copse, a rookery and a formal topiary garden to the east of the house and a formal lake to the north. Sadly almost all of the nineteenth century garden so wonderfully illustrated in Country Life disappeared whilst it was an educational institution for boys. Some of the urns on the walls of the former formal garden east of the house remain, though damaged; the cast iron decorative gate and gate piers remain but with only one urn finial, the formal lake remains but the formal hedge has gone. The south avenue of Cedars of Lebanon remains and some have been replanted but only three Wellingtonias (poor condition) remain of the avenue beyond South Lodge. Almost all of the old oaks forming the west avenue survive. Both South Lodge and West Lodge have been extended, considerably altering their character. The approach from the west went through the picturesque nineteenth century stables with 3 storey part with a bell turret and a clock in the gable, but the archway has been filled in. lcepit copse remains in farmland in adjoining ownership.

House listed Grade I; the walled garden, including walls and freestanding urns, and former stable block listed Grade II

Cherry & Pevsner: The Buildings of England – Devon, 1989: 197-9
T Gray: The Garden History of Devon, 1995: 54-5 Gardening World v.15, 1899: 613
Country Life v.15, 1904: 18-28
G Jekyll: Garden Ornament, 1918: 279
T. Gray: Devon Historic Houses and Gardens Engraved Vol I