Founded in 1196, Torre Abbey began as a monastery. It was later adapted as a private house – home to the secretive Roman Catholic Cary family, who lived there for nearly 300 years. The local council acquired Torre Abbey in 1930, and adapted it for use as an art gallery and Mayor’s Parlour, and it has recently been renovated.The important but little-known story of Catholicism in England provides a sub-plot of the book. From the end of the Third Crusade in 1192 to the re-establishment of the Catholic hierarchy in England in 1850, every significant event that affected English Catholics was illuminated or reflected by events at Torre Abbey. Probably, no other house in the country could be used to tell the story of English Catholics so well.

These spooky ghost tales from one of Britain's most ancient counties are vividly retold by local storyteller Janet Dowling. Their origins lost in the oral tradition, these stories are as eerie and mysterious as the windswept moorland, wild shorelines and rugged landscapes from which they derive. Here you will find stories of a voice beyond the grave, a ghost on the pivot between heaven and hell, and the spectres of Viking princes on moonlit roads. Richly illustrated by Vicky Jocher with original drawings, these atmospheric tales are perfect for reading aloud in front of a roaring fire or alone under the covers on dark, stormy nights.

This volume studies some of Edward Burne-Jones’s paintings, focusing specifically on his approach to nature, both through his observations about the real, physical world and through his symbolic interpretations of earthly and celestial realms. Burne-Jones’s appreciation for natural formations grew from his interests in astronomy and geography, and was expanded by his aesthetic sensibility for physical and metaphysical beauty. His drawings and watercolors carefully recorded the physical world he saw around him. These studies provided the background for a collection of paintings about landscapes with flora and fauna, and ignited an artistic furor that inspired the imagery he used in his allegorical, fantasy, and dream cycles about forests, winding paths, and sweet briar roses. This study focuses on two main ideas: Burne-Jones’s concept of ideal and artificial or magical nature expressed and represented in his drawings and paintings, and the way in which he fused his scientific knowledge about nature with some of the symbolism in his paintings.

The Garden History of Devon is a reference guide to historical sources for over 200 Devon gardens. It also provides an introduction for would-be garden historians on how to conduct garden research. The book is the result of an exploration of the archival resources of Devon's garden history; the objective being to provide signposts to research material for those interested in the development of Devon's gardens. The entries, arranged alphabetically, begin with a brief section describing each garden's history, amplified by quotations from contemporary travellers and diarists; following the descriptive sections are listings of documents, printed sources and illustrations relating to each garden. The greater part of this material is unknown to garden historians.