Tapeley Park and gardens, Westleigh, Devon. Paid entry
Details
Accessibility
Disability Toilet and Baby Changing Facilities.
2025-
Disabled facilities
If you use a wheelchair (manual or electric) or a walker there are parts of the garden which may not be suitable, for example the walk through the wood to the lake and across the fields to the monument statue.
We offer disabled parking (located by the Pay Hut) which are not too far from the gardens which offers seating, and the toilet facilities are close at hand.
Brief description
2025-
"The Tapeley Park grounds are renowned for their beautiful gardens, particularly the Italian terraces, and include a lake, ponds, old woodland and a number of fields where Tapeley’s herd of Highland cattle graze. As well as a sizeable organic vegetable garden, Tapeley Park has one of the oldest permaculture gardens in the UK."
https://www.historichouses.org/house/tapeley-park/visit/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapeley
2025: "Tapeley is a historic estate in the parish of Westleigh in North Devon, England.[1]
The present mansion house known as Tapeley Park is a grade II* listed[2] country house, built or enlarged from an existing structure in about 1704, remodeled in the 19th century and again in the early 20th century when pilasters, portico, pediment and parapet were added to create a Queen Anne style building. In the mid 19th century the estate was inherited from the Clevland family by William Langham Christie of Glyndebourne in Sussex. His grandson was John Christie (born 1882), the founder of Glyndebourne Opera Festival, who bequeathed Tapeley to his daughter Rosamund Christie (1933–1988), who passed it onto her nephew Hector Christie (born 1963), who briefly turned it into a hippie commune. In 2011, Tapeley Park was the subject of an episode of the Channel 4 television programme Country House Rescue, presented by the hotelier Ruth Watson, who advised on restoring the estate to a sound financial position.
The gardens are Grade II* listed in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.[3] They are open to the public on a regular basis and feature Italianate terraces, a working kitchen garden and a permaculture garden. The estate, now mainly owned by the Christie Devon Estates Trust (trustees of the Christie family), comprises about 6,000 acres, and covers Saunton (including foreshore and beach), Braunton Burrows (sand dunes, partly a nature reserve and leased to the Ministry of Defence), Instow (including the foreshore purchased from the crown estate) and the village of Westleigh.[4] "
Address
Tapeley Park
Instow
North Devon
EX39 4NT
2025-
Phone
2025-
01271 342558
Website
https://www.christieestates.co.uk/tapeley-park
https://www.historichouses.org/house/tapeley-park/visit/
Directions
"Tapeley Park is located between Bideford and Barnstaple, near the village of Instow. Visitors can follow brown tourist signs from the A39 onto the B3233 (please note if you use the post code in Sat Nav you will be directed to the incorrect entrance). The Tapeley Garden entrance is just beyond the turning sign posted to Westleigh Village, coming from the Bideford direction."
https://www.historichouses.org/house/tapeley-park/visit/
Opening Times and Admission Prices
2025
Adults £8.50
Children £6.50 Under 5’s Free
Seniors £7.00
Family Ticket (2 Adults and up to 3 Children) £22.00
Friends of Tapeley Season Ticket – Adult – £35.00, Child – £15.00
Gardens open only
April – end of October
Sunday – Thursday inclusive closed Friday and Saturday
https://www.historichouses.org/house/tapeley-park/visit/
Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change
Transport
Amenities
Baby Changing Facilities
Disability Parking
Disability Toilets
Gardens
Manor house
Park
Parking
Playground
Tea Rooms and Shop https://www.christieestates.co.uk/tapeley-park/gift-shop-tea-rooms/
Toilets
There is a lovely Tea Room which is accessible with indoor and outdoor seating – garden admission charges apply to use this facility.
Travel Information
For further travel information please see: www.traveline.info
Or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33
(Calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company's access charge)
Location
Nearest Venues
1.11 miles*
North Devon Maritime Museum, Appledore
1.23 miles*
Torridge Bridge, Bideford, North Devon
1.43 miles*
*Distances are calculated in a straight line from the current venue, please allow extra time/distance based on available paths or roads.