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POWDERHAM CASTLE -
A FINALIST IN SOUTH WEST TOURISM EXCELLANCE AWARDS 2007
Powderham Castle has been chosen from over 200 applicants as a
finalist in the ‘Tourism Oscars’ – the South West Tourism
Excellence Awards.
Over the last 2 years the Castle has made a significant number of
improvements to the visitor attraction. These have included adding
the Courtenay Fort - a large children’s adventure play area,
restoring the spectacular Victorian Kitchen, starting a Victorian
education experience for primary school children, increasing
accessibility for disabled visitors, redesigning the website,
adding more family events, improving the shop and tea room and
finally, embarking on a variety of environmental initiatives.
Clare Crawshaw, General Manager;
Being a finalist for this award is a great achievement. The
team have been working very hard to provide the best possible day
out for all our visitors. All the improvements have been done in
keeping with the beautiful surroundings and we are delighted that
visitors appreciate them.
Powderham Castle faces stiff competition for the Gold Award from
Forde Abbey, who won the award in 2006 and Painswick Rococo
Gardens. The results will be announced on 19 September with the
winner going through to a national competition, run by Visit
Britain.
Clare Crawshaw:
The Castle is having a very good season, despite the weather.
Business is up 18% on 2006, so visitors are really voting with
their feet! Getting to the final is terrific. But winning the Gold
Award would really be the icing on the cake!
RARE WOLLEMI PINE
Lord Devon celebrates
his 65th birthday with a rare Wollemi pine and a bottle of
Australian red wine.
The Woodland Garden at Powderham Castle is now home to one of the
first Wollemi pine trees on public display in Devon. As an early
birthday present to himself Lord Devon decided to invest in a
Wollemi pine.
The Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis) hit the headlines in 1994 when
it was discovered 200km west of Sydney in a rainforest gorge
within the Wollemi National Park by David Noble - a National Park
Officer. It was previously only known as a fossil, widespread
throughout Australia.
Lord Devon says:
The Wollemi pine is one of the World's oldest and rarest trees
and a relative of the Monkey Puzzle. It would have been around
with the dinosaurs. There are less than 100 mature trees left in
the wild, so I thought it would be a good idea to plant one in
order to help support the population. The Australian red wine
should help it on its way!
The largest wild Wollemi pine in the rainforest gorge is 40m tall
with a main trunk of 1.2m wide, the Powderham Wollemi is 46cm tall
so has a lot of catching up to do. It is fast growing, achieving
1/2m per year and should grow very well in South Devon.
Lord Devon:
Royalties from sales of the Wollemi pine go to support
conservation of the Wollemi pine and other rare and endangered
plant species. By having the pine on display we can hopefully
encourage our visitors to help save this precious tree from
extinction.
Visitors to the Castle can see the Wollemi pine from 26 April – 1
August.
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Date: 26 April 2007
Notes to Editors
1) Lord Devon’s 65th birthday is 5th May.
2) Foliage of the Wollemi pine is apple green, changing to
blue-green as the tree grows. When the plant matures the foliage
is more Jurassic-like, featuring two rows of leaves on the
branches not unlike spines on a Stegosaur’s back.
3) To buy a Wollemi pine or find out more information visit
www.wollemipine.co.uk. Or
contact Kernock Park Plants on 01579 350561.
4) Powderham Castle is open to visitors from 4 April until 28
October 2007 Sunday to Friday from 10am to 5.30pm.
5) Powderham Castle is eight miles south of Exeter on the A379
Dawlish road.
6) Digital images of the Castle, grounds, attractions and events
are available on request. See contact details below.‘
VICTORIAN KITCHEN
OPENS 4 APRIL 2007
Powderham Castle, the
family home of the Earls of Devon for over 600 years will be
opening the Victorian Kitchen and Servants’ Hall for the 2007
visitor season. The fascinating project is supported by the
Heritage Lottery Fund and has cost in the region of £50,000 and
will be a fantastic educational resource and something extra for
visitors to see.
This is a great opportunity for the 40,000 who visit the
Castle each year to learn about life in the domestic quarters as
part of the regular guided tour.
General Manager, Clare Crawshaw says:
All social history is fascinating and the ‘below stairs’
story is not told at the Castle at the moment. It is wonderful to
be able to bring the rooms to life and reflect on human
achievement and how life has changed for the better since
Victorian times.
There will be a special events programme for everybody to take
part in, including egg painting and egg rolling at Easter.
Secondly, the Kitchen and Servant’s Hall will provide formal
learning facility for schools, colleges and universities. Primary
school students study the Victorian era and citizenship as part of
the core curriculum, as do many higher and further education
students. The Powderham kitchens will be a truly first class and
authentic setting for this learning.
Clare Crawshaw, General Manager:
We must excite and interest children from all social
backgrounds with Powderham Castle, in order to protect the Castle
for the future. The more you know about historic places, the more
you care about them.
*** Ends ***
IT'S A PIG'S LIFE
Two pot-bellied piglets have just moved in at Powderham
Castle. Their arrival is particularly significant as 18 February
is Chinese New Year and 2007 is the ‘Year of the Pig’. The two
sisters have been named ‘Honey’ and ‘Jasmine’ (although a number
of less appropriate suggestions had been put forward eg Sweet ‘n’
Sow-er!)
Their cosy new abode in the old Victorian walled garden, now
called the Secret Garden, is a real hog’s heaven. The lucky
piglets have some very friendly neighbours including goats, guinea
pigs, chickens and a donkey too.
Clare Crawshaw, General Manager
“We are delighted to welcome these adorable pot-bellied pigs to
our growing family of pets in the Secret Garden. They are settling
in well and proving to be real characters.”
Staff will be having a little Chinese New Year house warming
celebration in the piglets honour this week. Visitors will be able
to meet Honey and Jasmine when the Castle opens on 4 April.
*** Ends ***
BABY NEWS!
Lord and Lady Courtenay are thrilled to announce the safe
arrival of ‘Joscelyn Skye’ at 9.14 pm on Wednesday 31 January (US
time). Weighing 7.14lb and 21 inches long the beautiful baby girl
arrived into the world in the comfort of their family home in
California.
Charlie, the proud father has been immersed in baby books for the
last nine months and helped deliver the baby. Allison Joy (AJ)
finally gave birth in a water bath after 10 hours of labour.
To celebrate Joscelyn’s arrival, thrilled grandparents: the Earl
and Countess of Devon, instructed Castle staff to fly the family
flag with a pretty pink night dress attached to tell the world
‘it’s a girl!’
The champagne corks are popping at Powderham Castle today!
*** Ends ***
AN APPEAL FOR INFORMATION AND VOLUNTEERS - VICTORIAN PROJECT AT
POWDERHAM CASTLE
Powderham Castle has successfully been awarded a Heritage Lottery
Fund grant to renovate the Victorian Kitchens and Servants Hall
for visitors and school groups. For the first time, the story of
ordinary people who worked in the Earl’s household will be told.
The household continues to be made up of people like us living in
the local area. The project is an opportunity for the people who
work so hard during the Victorian era to receive recognition and
to celebrate our shared heritage.
We are looking for two people, from the local community, to
volunteer approximately six hours per week, to take part in the
project. It will involve researching and enhancing our records of
the period and developing educational material.
Secondly, we are appealing for any information from local people
whose family had a connection with Powderham Castle in the
Victorian Period (1837 – 1901) and especially from 1890 to 1901 -
the period that the Kitchens will be restored back to.
Clare Crawshaw, General Manager:
Maybe your grandparents met at the Castle or your great aunt
was the governess; your great, great uncle supplied the bread or
your cousin was the butler. We are interested in it all and if you
have any records such as old photos and letters, we would love to
see those too.
Whether you can volunteer your time or offer family information
please e-mail
castle@powderham.co.uk ; or write to The Archivist,
Powderham Castle, Exeter, Devon. EX6 8JQ.
or download forms here
*** Ends ***
Notes to Editors
1. Members of the media are invited to view the rooms. For an
appointment please contact Clare or Ingrid – see details below.
2. There is likely to be some fantastic photographic and filming
opportunities, such as the servicing and lighting of the range,
sourcing and cleaning the many copper pans and historical
discoveries as the project progresses. Please contact us if you
would like to follow the project in more depth.
3. Powderham Castle is six miles south of Exeter on the A379
Dawlish road. Follow the brown tourist signs.
4. Powderham Castle is open until 29 October 2006. Admission
costs adults £7.95, Seniors £7.50, children 5 – 14 years £5.95
and family tickets (two adults and two children), £22.45 Season
tickets for one year are also available.
Contact: For further information please contact 01626 890243
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POWDERHAM CASTLE TO
RESTORE
VICTORIAN KITCHENS
9
Aug 2006
MEDIA RELEASE
Notes to Teachers and
Educationalists
Powderham Castle, the
family home of the Earls of Devon for over 600 years will be
restoring the Victorian Kitchen and Servant’s Hall over the coming
months. The fascinating project will be a fantastic educational
resource and something extra for visitors to see from Easter 2007.
The Kitchen and Servant’s Hall will provide formal learning
facility for schools, colleges and universities. Primary school
students study the Victorian era and citizenship as part of the
core curriculum, as do many higher and further education students.
The Powderham kitchens will be a truly first class and authentic
setting for this learning.
Clare Crawshaw, General Manager:
We must excite and interest children from all social
backgrounds with Powderham Castle, in order to protect the Castle
for the future. The more you know about historic places, the more
you care about them.
Secondly, there is a great opportunity for the 40,000 who
visit the Castle each year to learn about life in the domestic
quarters as part of the regular guided tour.
Clare Crawshaw says:
All social history is fascinating and the ‘below stairs’
story is not told at the Castle at the moment. It is wonderful to
be able to bring the rooms to life and reflect on human
achievement and how life has changed for the better since
Victorian times.
Finally, there will be a special events programme for
everybody to take part in. It could include Victorian Halloween
and Christmas fun, egg blowing and decorating, Victorian detox
days and cookery demonstrations.
Clare Crawshaw;
All the Powderham Castle team are very excited about the
project and look forward to finding out more about the Castle
during the Victorian era. Everyone will be involved including the
Estate’s highly skilled craftsmen and the maintenance team, the
tour guides and archivists.
Work is already underway with the specialist deep cleaning
of the range and repair work by Jonathon Chew from Ashburn Forge. The
project will be completed by Easter 2007.
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