Devonshire manor house, restored and extended in the local vernacular.
Modbury, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0TW
Shilstone is a lovingly restored Georgian house in the heart of the Devon countryside, overlooking an important historical landscape, which includes the only known and nationally important seventeenth-century water theatre in the UK.
Entry to gardens is now free of charge.
House and Garden Tour
Visitors will be guided through the ground floor of the house, and some rooms upstairs, looking at architectural styles of 1600–1730; the formal gardens and wider designed landscape. Guests will explore the history of the site through its surviving archaeology and rare architectural features before seeing the results of a 20-year project to restore the house.
Historic Landscape Tour
Guests will spend the afternoon rambling through the terraced formal gardens, before leaping over the ha-ha, and into the nationally important water garden with its ornamental and cascading rills. Along the way, they will visit the walled kitchen garden, with its very own banqueting house, and see the remnants of the only known, late seventeeth-century Italianate water theatre.
All tours are conducted by resident archaeologist Abi Gray and begin at the Devon Rural Archive where guests can view artefacts from the site, historic documents and photographs from the restoration project. Visitors will be guided through the ground floor of the house looking at architectural styles of 1600–1730; the formal gardens and wider designed landscape. Guests will explore the history of the site through its surviving archaeology and rare architectural features before seeing the results of a 20-year project to restore the house.
Tours that are scheduled will be listed below. If none are scheduled yet, please check back later, or find other tours you might enjoy on our tours listing page here.
Getting here
Modbury, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0TW
Sat-Nav may be unrealiable. Please note that Shilstone is not on a public transport route, and vehicular access is via narrow country lanes with limited passing places.
From Modbury
• Follow the A379 into Modbury town centre and, next to the zebra crossing, turn into Brownston Street which is signed for Dartmouth.
• Continue for just under a mile, and once you have left the town take the second left at Mary Cross.
• Proceed down the hill for 700 yards and over a small bridge. Please note the weight limit of the bridge is 18 tonnes mgw.
• Continue up the hill, passed Weeke Farm, to the T-junction and turn right.
• After just 200 yards turn right again between two stone gate piers into Shilstone.
• Go down the hill and take the first left signed Devon Rural Archive and proceed along the drive. The speed limit is 5mph.
• The DRA car park is on the left next to the Archive. Please sign in at the Devon Rural Archive.
From Plymouth and the West
• Leave the A38 at Ivybridge on the B3213, stay in the right hand lane.
• At the roundabout take the fifth exit towards Ermington on the B3211.
• Take the first left to Ermington and continue on for approximately 2.5 miles.
• Once in the village take the second left hand turn after passing Ermington Mill; the road is just beyond the church.
• At the bottom of the hill turn left onto the A3121, signed for Ugborough, and continue on for approximately ½ a mile.
• Take the second right hand turn for Sheepham and proceed up the hill to the crossroads.
• At Crownhill Cross turn left and continue for 1.5 miles and then turn right between two stone gate piers into Shilstone.
• Go down the hill and take the first left signed Devon Rural Archive and proceed along the drive. The speed limit is 5mph.
• The DRA car park is on the left next to the Archive. Please sign in at the Devon Rural Archive.
From Exeter and the East
• Leave the A38 at Wrangaton Cross.
• Stay in the left hand lane to turn left towards Ugborough and Ermington on the A3121 Kingsbridge Road.
• After approximately 1.4 miles turn right at Kitterford Cross to continue along the A3121.
• In just a few hundred yards turn left, next to Ugborough Garage, signed Dunwell and Shilston.
• Follow the road for 2 miles and then turn right between two stone gate piers into Shilstone.
• Go down the hill and take the first left signed Devon Rural Archive and proceed along the drive. The speed limit is 5mph.
• The DRA car park is on the left next to the Archive. Please sign in at the Devon Rural Archive.
Tour Shilstone’s Historic Landscape, Devon
Shilstone House & Garden tour, Devon
Tour Shilstone’s Historic Landscape, Devon
Shilstone House & Garden tour, Devon
TOUR DURATION
Historic landscape tours 1.5 hours
Tours including the house 1.5 hours
TOUR PRICES
Historic landscape tours £18.00 per person
Tours including the house £18.00 per person
REFRESHMENTS
No refreshments included. Café on site
ACCESS NOTES
Disabled access by prior arrangement but restricted to the ground floor of the house and immediate gardens. Disabled cloakroom at the Devon Rural Archive.
RESTRICTIONS
No dogs.
VISITORS’ VIEWS
“Thank you for such an insightful tour of Shilstone and its gardens on a glorious summer’s day. The water theatre was, I thought, most interesting. I do so hope that it will eventually be restored, especially as you said it’s the only one of its kind in the country.”