Report from Secretary John Polley with thanks in the absence of the Press Officer....................

Abi Marshall, Head Gardener, together with her gardener colleague Laura presented ‘Torre Abbey Gardens’ to Teignmouth Men’s Probus Club.

Abi introduced herself and asked how many members had visited the gardens, only a handful had done so! The gardens are the ‘jewel in the crown’ of Torbay Councils gardens, they sit behind Torre Abbey. Abi explained how she is responsible for the maintenance of the gardens and has been since 2008. The Abbey was established 800 years ago, being founded in 1196. It belonged to an order of white canons (priest’s) the order originating in France.

During Henry VIII rein large parts of the Abbey were destroyed and sold off and only two sides of the building remained. It was later purchased by the Carey family, a naval family from Cockington who owned the Abbey for 300 years until it was sold to Torbay Borough Council in 1930.

Being medieval, the Abbey requires ongoing work and is currently in the third stage of a restoration programme. There is still a palm house where many ex Kew Gardens palms have repopulated the area. The palm house is used for events including weddings. Originally there were 4 glasshouses, a pond, a vineyard and a cemetery, so the gardeners have to be careful when they are digging due to the many shallow graves!

Currently there are cider apple orchards, with the apples going to a local cider producer. Both the gardens and the abbey are the setting for many events, including Agatha Christie festivals, Halloween events and much more. The gardens have an extensive sculpture collection together with extensive dahlia, lavender and carnivorous plant collections which are very popular. There is a ‘Spanish Barn’, an enormous medieval building named after the Spanish prisoners of war who were housed there and set to work in the abbey grounds during the years of the Spanish Armada.

In Torbay Council ownership the gardens served as a training ground for council gardeners with lots of staff including a single gardener who looked after the cactus collection! In the 1980s it became very run down and neglected and in 2004 a conservation project was started with the gardens initially being closed down completely thus becoming overgrown. Since Abi took over it is managed on an organic basis with much wildlife including nesting Buzzards, Hedgehogs and Bees kept for honey.

The gardens are supported and maintained by The Friends Of Torre Abbey together with an army of volunteers from all backgrounds providing benefits to many in terms of work experience, confidence, communication skills, etc.

The vote of thanks was proposed by member Rick Irving thanking Abi and Laura for a most interesting and informative presentation. The club are now arranging a visit to Torre Abbey and Gardens courtesy of Abi in September.

Photos available at  https://www.torre-abbey.org.uk/gardens/