Salcombe ~ South Hams ~ Devon

Overbeck's Museum & Gardens (National Trust)

Salcombe Castle

Salcombe Castle - Fort Charles The picturesque ruins of Fort Charles, on a rock off of North Sands beach, was built by Henry VIII as a harbour defence in 1544 to protect the estuary from French and Spanish raiders. The castle originally known as The Bulwark was strengthened and used as a Royalist Garrison during the English Civil War. Fort Charles withstood two Roundhead sieges, including one which lasted for four months. The Garrison, led by Sir Edmund Fortescue, finally surrendering to Parliamentary forces on honourable terms in May 1664 - though Fort Charles itself was subsequently destroyed .

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Local Attractions Overbecks Meseum & Gardens Museum of Maritime Dartmouth Castle South Devon Railway CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Hope Cove - Salcombe - Devon

PLACES OF LOCAL INTEREST

Overbeck's Museum and Gardens (National Trust)

The Museum is located in the Edwardian Overbeck's house. The displays are mainly focused on the maritime heritage of the local area. Overbecks House is one and a half miles southwest of Salcombe at Sharpitor.

This elegant Edwardian House contains the varied collections Dr. Otto Overbeck who lived here from 1928-37. Dr. Otto Overbeck, who gave the house and grounds to the National Trust in 1937. Inside, displayed alongside the many curios and Dr. Overbeck's drawings are late 19th century photographs, local ship building tools, model boats, toys, shells, a nautical collection and a natural history collection. The house has a secret room for children where they can hunt for Fred the ghost. Teas and refreshments are served in the old billiard room.

Overbeck's Gardens

The gardens which are set high above the estuary, offering visitors stunning views. The 6 acre garden is full of exotic and rare species of fauna, that revel in the areas almost tropical micro climate. Salcombe Youth Hostel The Youth Hostel is located in Overbecks House overlooking the estuary and the infamous Salcombe Bar.

The beautiful and luxuriant gardens which are set high above the estuary, offering visitors stunning views across the Salcombe estuary are set in of 2.5 hectares of land. The warm micro climate provides suitable growing conditions for a range of unusual tender plants, normally only grown under glass. In the gardens you will see Banana, figs, flax, palm trees and the famous magnolia campbellii, all carefully planted to provide the visitor with an ever-changing panorama of shape texture and colour.

Please note that the roads up to the Museum and Gardens are very steep, single tracks and not suitable for large vehicles or coaches.
Overbecks, Sharpitor, Salcombe, TQ8 8LW. Tel (01548) 842 893

Museum of Maritime and Local History

A visit to Salcombe would not be complete without a visit to the Salcombe Museum of Maritime and Local History ,located in Market Street. The museum portrays the local maritime history and associated trades with an exhibitions that is changed annually to keep the regular visitors coming back again and again. The museum also features a section on the role that the area played in the run up to the D Day landings, in particular the Slapton World War II training area. Museum of Maritime and Local History.

The displays take the visitor back through Salcombe's past - to the days of the smugglers, shipbuilders and the fast fruit schooners, built in the local ship yards to race between Salcombe and the Bahamas, the Mediterranean, and the Azorian Islands bringing back resh oranges and other exotic fruits for the British market in the 1800's. The museum like Salcombe itsells, has something for everyone- hands on displays for the children, ship models aand boatyard models, old photographs and paintings plus a range of artefacts from ship wrecks of the past.

Hope Cove

Hope Cove is a beautiful coastal sanctuary, a place to relax and unwind. Once a favourite haunt for smugglers, now a charming holiday destination. The picturesque fishing village of Hope Cove is two villages in one - Outer and Inner Hope.

At Inner Hope there is a collection of cob or stone cottages, thatch galore, around a tiny square. The windows are bright with geraniums and you need to bow your head to enter the cottages.