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Hestercombe House Scrubs Up for The Public
2 months ago
The house opens on Saturday The whole team have been busy helping get it up to standard. The Gallery spaces have been reclaimed - this means that the rooms used have not been restored, as this would take much more time and money than is available at the moment, a lovely little 2nd hand bookshop has been created, and a stunning area for a tea room has been cleared. The idea is that the public will be able to experience the transitional nature of Hestercombe House. There are records of a house on this site right back to medieval times, with plans revealing a huge old hall taking up most of the area at the front of the house. The house passed through families, centuries and new design ideas - finally ending with the functionality instilled by the council. Now we have removed miles of electrical cabling, pulled up floorboards and carpet tiles, scrubbed, painted and polished to bring to the public an amalgamation of history and design. And now with the first exhibition 'Leaping the Fence' that concept is pushed further with contemporary art of our time.
_As visitors enter the house they will first be met by the Main Hall and the curling wooden staircase. To the right is The Dining Room, which is about as original at Hestercombe House gets, and to the left is the Portman Room and the beginning of the exhibition. Down the corridor to the right is the Column Tea-Room, the Jasmine room which is being used as a bookshop and the toilets. To the corridor to the left is a medieval archway, carved in stone, visible through the plaster. Up the stairs the majority of the first floor is being used for the Gallery._ Pictures: 1: Ben Knight (& the whole team) scrubbing the floors to try to remove skree from the tiles. Sadly they have been ruined. 2: the bookshop volunteers stacking the shelves. 3: The Dining Room at the right of the entrance, one of the only remaining rooms in near historical accuracy. Paintings of the Bampfylde family being put up where they originally hung. 4: An arctic arrives with the art for the first exhibition 'Leaping the Fence'. The Arts Council and curator Tim have been carefully re-assembling the works in the correct rooms for the last week or so.
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Hestercombe House Opening Information Throughout
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**UPDATE, 7th January 2021: *Please note: in line with the national lockdown, Hestercombe House and Gallery is temporarily closed. Read our full coronavirus statement for opening information.**: To visit Hestercombe House and Gallery (when reopen), you will need to book a gardens admission ticket, which also gives you entry to _Open-Up_, a new series of...
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Carols By Candlelight in Hestercombe House
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**‘Choristers from Wellington School Chapel Choir entertained a packed audience to a magical evening of Carols By Candlelight in Hestercombe House on Saturday.’ The event took place in the grand Victorian hallway of the House, with the choir positioned on the impressive staircase which was festooned with festive garlands. The picture shows 4 of the...
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A Blast From The Past
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full timeI thought you might appreciate this photo of Hestercombe House taken in 1953, just as the Somerset Fire Brigade (est. 1948) was about to move in and make it their headquarters. Somerset County Council leased Hestercombe House for £500 per year in September and would eventually (1977) purchase the House and adjoining 11 acres of land, including the Formal...
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Hestercombe’s Landscape Saved with £1.5million
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**A vision to completely restore Hestercombe is one step closer thanks to a £1.5 million grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.**: This remarkable donation has enabled Hestercombe to acquire land totalling 320 acres, securing the world-class, Grade 1 heritage landscape, gardens and buildings for future generations. A vision to completely restore...
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Hestercombe at War
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**1940-42**: In July 1940, the British Army established 8th Corps to take responsibility for all British troops in the South West of England, and Hestercombe became the division’s rear HQ. In early 1941 the first six barrack blocks were built with brick bases, concrete block walls and roofs covered with asbestos slates. **1943-44**: The British 8th Corps...
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Hestercombe Features On The Bbc!
4 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full timeDid you see Hestercombe on the BBC? Inside Out South West did a special feature about thedevelopments of Hestercombe House. We are all thrilled to hit such a wide audience and loved watching some of our staff on the telly! The programme was excellent so a big thank you to all involved. If you missed the programme catch up on the BBC iplayer and let us know...
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What's On in The Hestercombe Winter Wonderland...
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**WELCOME TO WINTER WONDERLAND AT HESTERCOMBE!** - A sparkling winter woodland walk, skating, Father Christmas and 3 unique Carol concerts combine to make the festive season at Hestercombe exceptional._ For the first time, from November 30th until December 24th, from 4.30pm each evening (check website for exact times) an enchanting Winter Wonderland...
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Covid-19 Update From Hestercombe
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**A regularly updated statement from Hestercombe Gardens regarding steps taken on site to help protect customers and staff from the Covid-19 pandemic.**: **Latest update: Friday 30th April 2021**: **Hestercombe Gardens is open daily for visits**: We are delighted to return to being fully open for visits from members and non-members. Bookings for the gardens...
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Taunton Literary Festival
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**Brendon Books of Taunton presents the Taunton Literary Festival 22nd to 30th September 2012 Hestercombe hosts a special day of lectures by eminent authors in Hestercombe House. Lecture tickets are £6.50 each. Booking is essential. Pop in for lunch at the Stables Restaurant & Coffee Shop before or after the lecture. Coffee, tea and cake will be available...
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Hestercombe's Craft Callout
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**Are you a creative looking for your next opportunity?**: **Are you a creative looking for your next opportunity?** Hestercombe Gallery aims to present the best in contemporary arts practice, whilst focusing on the relationship between art and landscape. We aim to be a place in which art is not only shown but where artists and designers can explore,...
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Hestercombe Gardens Trust
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**The Hestercombe Gardens Trust was established in 1996 to oversee the restoration of the gardens and to protect them for the future.**: **The Trust’s Objectives**: The Trust’s charitable objective is: to reclaim, restore, preserve, enhance and develop for the education and benefit of the public, the landscape, gardens and buildings of heritage,...
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Christmas at Hestercombe
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**Welcome to the festive season!** We're now officially in the mood for Christmas after a very successful annual Christmas Market. Filled with beautiful stalls and friendly, local producers and craftspeople we were bursting at the seams with decorations, food and lots of lovely gift ideas. A great way to kick start the festive season. We’re now in a...
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Memories of Hestercombe: The Portman Chapel
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**Chapter Two: The Portman’s & the Church of St. Mary, Hestercombe** “I remember well how, when I came to St. Andrews (Taunton) in 1947, I was faced with a very large and run-down parish, & no curate... and no car. You can perhaps imagine how I thought when I was told that I was expected to take services for an old lady in her private chapel, which was...
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Discover More About The Secrets of Hestercombe..
4 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full timeOn the 'blog' section of our website there are regular updates about what's growing on! In the gardens Claire (Head Gardener) and Jo do reports on what's happening, with Claire's **plant ID** ***and find out about the history of Hestercombe from Kim, our archivist, who quietly works away reading old manuscripts or discovering who's who in black and white...
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From The Archives: Memories of Hestercombe
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**MEMORIES OF HESTERCOMBE: THE 1873-77 REMODELLING OF HESTERCOMBE HOUSE**: The moulded stone arch that frames the east entrance to the Gallery Shop, originally the Great Hall, probably formed part of the rear wall of the original, early medieval house at Hestercombe. By the late 17th century the increasingly substantial residence of the Warre family...
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Help for Heritage As Hestercombe Receives Lifeline
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**Help for heritage as Hestercombe receives lifeline from Government’s Culture Recovery Fund**: - Help for heritage as Hestercombe receives lifeline from Government’s Culture Recovery Fund**Heritage sites protected**: - More help for heritage in need with £14 million investment in England’s historic sites - Hestercombe among 162 organisations...
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2nd Exhibition at The Hestercombe Gallery
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full timeThis is the last week you can see 'Leaping the Fence' featuring many world famous artists including Mark Wallinger and Tracey Emin. But fear not! On 14th October we re-open with the Tania Kovats show 'Oceans', a wonderful collection of drawing, sculpture and multi-media. Here's a great review from it's last outing in Edinburgh's Fruitmarket Gallery: The...
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Horrifying Hallowe'en at Hestercombe!
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**HALLOWE’EN IS HORRIFYING AT HESTERCOMBE THIS HALF TERM! October 2012** **Non stop fun an frights throughout the holidays.** Hestercombe undergoes a phenomenal transformation at Hallowe’en - from stunning gardens by day to spine chilling chamber of horrors at night! Take a **Terror Tour** - but take care because the zombies are coming and they will be...
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From The Archives: Memories of Hestercombe
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full timeThe Hestercombe archives are bursting at the seams with facts, pictures and accounts of the history of Hestercombe and those who lived and worked here. This post is the first of a series called 'Memories of Hestercombe', where we uncover lost and forgotten characters of the estate. - Written by Kim Legate, Archivist_ - Figure 1 - Thomas ‘James’ Tooze &...
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Find a Warm Welcome at Hestercombe
2 months ago
Taunton, United Kingdom Hestercombe Gardens Full time**We have joined forces with Spark Somerset to invite and share our warm space with the local community this winter at Hestercombe.**: We’ll be opening our doors at Hestercombe House and offering a comfortable space for those that need it to sit, read, and stay as long as they wish. Our warm space is free to access with the opportunity to view our art...