Homes & Gardens

If you’re a sucker for character, then you’ve probably considered buying an old house. Period features make excellent selling points, and things as simple as open fires or exposed wooden beams can really add to property value. Here’s our advice on what you need to know when purchasing an older property.

Check its condition

Old houses are more likely to be rough around the edges than more modern properties. There might be structural damage, asbestos, or any number of other problems which could cause a headache later. Be sure to check for rodents too – they have a habit of...

Lush gardens created by the world’s first and greatest landscape gardener Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown have been revealed in Devon. The rare seascape by the original and most world-renowned creator and designer of English gardens, sits just 10 miles from Exeter, and is one of only two of his designs across all of Devon and Cornwall still in existence. Now, in a year where events are taking place across the country to mark the 300th anniversary of his birth, the gardens that Capability Brown shaped some 250 years ago on the eastern slopes of Haldon Hill, overlooking the Exe Estuary and...

A building at the heart of Devon and Cornwall police headquarters has been named in honour of much loved Falmouth PC Andy Hocking. Thousands of local people paraded through the town as a mark of respect when Andy died suddenly in March 2015. He was just 52. His impact on the local community was immense, and he epitomised everything that is good about neighbourhood policing. Now, in addition to permanent tributes in Falmouth, his memory will live on at Middlemoor HQ in Exeter where new recruits will see his name on a daily basis as they begin their training and follow in his footsteps. A...

Have you got a wildlife friendly space in your garden? If not, why not take part in ‘Wild about Gardens’ week this week (24 to 30 October 2016) and use some top tips from East Devon District Council’s Countryside team to encourage more wildlife in.

Wildlife researchers discovered in 2013 that 60% of UK animal and plant species have declined in the last 50 years. ‘Wild About Gardens’ week aims to raise the profile of garden wildlife in the 15 million gardens in the UK. The East Devon District Council’s Countryside team suggests a range of ideas and simple steps you can take in your...