New lease of life for historic manor house
A historic Devon manor house, which has passed through generations of the same family for more than 160 years, is to be opened to the public - as a country house wedding and events venue.
Rockbeare Manor, which was built in around 1760, has undergone a £2m transformation to turn it into the perfect venue for special events.
The Regency property, which is on the edge of the village of Rockbeare, just outside Exeter, boasts a magnificent new Ballroom which seats up to 160 guests, with plans for the addition of 14 luxury bedrooms – all surrounded by more than 100 acres of parkland. It has been acquired on a 50-year lease from the family and restored by a team led by Andrew Carveth, Director of PM Hospitality.
Andrew said: ‘We were delighted to find this wonderful house and breathe life into it again. We really feel like we are custodians of the property taking it on to its next lease of life and it’s a responsibility we take very seriously. It is a Grade I listed building, so all our renovations have been appropriate and sympathetic, restoring this amazing home to its former glory.
‘It really is a stunning property, taking us back to the days of Jane Austen with its elegant facade and classic features. The house is on the site of an older one which was originally built by an Exeter merchant named Sir John Duntze and was bought as a home for entertaining. We feel we have now brought the house full circle and it is a real privilege to have done so.’
Andrew has been joined by Director of Events, Aimée Spencer, who heads up the events team at Rockbeare Manor, having previously worked together at Coombe Lodge and Priston Mill, the company’s two other venues.
Aimée said ‘Our values are based upon on creativity, quality, outstanding service and being exceptional in everything that we do. Understanding our clients’ vision for their event is really important to us so that we can host really unique, and above all memorable occasions’
The house, which went on to be sold to the Nation family in 1855, has remained in that family, with the most recent owner, Gerard Noel, recently moving to a cottage in the Manor’s grounds. Gerard’s late wife Caroline was an ancestor of William Nation and the couple brought up their five children at Rockbeare Manor.
The grounds are of great significance and are listed in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. They feature a lake, formal and informal gardens, and extensive parkland which includes a seven-metre diameter oak tree, believed to be the largest oak tree in Devon and third largest in England.
The team at Rockbeare Manor are now showing people around the venue and taking event bookings for this year.
Visit the website at www.rockbearemanor.co.uk for more information.
