In spring 2024, we had the pleasure of taking on a special commission for the friends of Homeyards Botanical Gardens in Shaldon, Devon. We were asked to recreate a set of gates that had stood for decades. The original gates, weathered by years of coastal air, were beyond repair, and our brief was clear: to replicate them exactly, using traditional joinery techniques throughout. Situated in a beautiful coastal setting, the 1920s gardens deserved nothing less than the same craftsmanship that had first shaped them.
Homeyards Botanical Gardens is a hidden gem located on the hillside above the village of Shaldon. The gardens were designed in the 1920s by Italian garden designer Giacomo Bosio and commissioned by Maria ‘Laetitia’ Kempe Homeyard. Originally created to complement the nearby castle she had built, the gardens are known for their mix of formal and informal landscaping, which includes rockeries, a castle-style folly, a lily pond, and terraced walks with sweeping views over the Teign Estuary and the sea.
Having all trained in heritage joinery, it was a pleasure to work with pegged mortice and tenon joints, just as the original makers had. We used English air-dried oak throughout, staying true to the materials and methods of the past. It was a project that called for precision and care, and we were proud of the final result.
The gates installed at the Homeyards Botanical Gardens, Shaldon, Devon
What made the project even more meaningful was a chance encounter during the installation. We met the craftsman who had built the gates we were replacing. He’d made them in the late 1960s as a joiner’s apprentice, tasked with copying the original 1920s gates. Hearing his story was a reminder that we were part of a long and ongoing tradition, a continuity of craftsmanship passed down over a hundred years.
In the end, the gates will continue to perform their function for the assorted dog walkers of Shaldon, but behind them is a lineage of craftsmanship that has quietly continued through the decades. It’s lovely to have played a small part in that story, preserving the character of this special place for years to come.