About Us
When you choose Tawstock Court for your wedding, corporate event or other celebration, you’ll take your place in our history. A history that dates back almost 1,000 years and includes being visited by Charles II, a garrison of Civil War troops, the ancestral home of an Archbishop and mentioned in the Domesday Book.
Family Run Business
We are the Peryer family and we are a friendly family-run business who are passionate about operating Tawstock Court and delivering the highest standards of customer service in our beautiful venue. Our journey with Tawstock Court has been challenging yet rewarding. When we purchased Tawstock Court in 2012, the property required extensive renovations. The building was in a state of disrepair, with leaking roofs, peeling wallpaper, and a serious issue with mould!! However, we saw beyond this and fell in love with Tawstock Court’s beautiful location and rich history.
This love fueled our dedication to the lengthy restoration process over the subsequent seven years. We devoted countless hours to carefully stripping away later additions and restoring the building to its original beauty. Foam ceilings, wall coverings, carpets and fixtures were removed to reveal the property’s historic character.
Today, we are proud to call Tawstock Court our home and business. All areas have been restored to the highest standards, allowing us to welcome guests and provide an exceptional customer experience. We hope you will contact us to enquire about visiting our beautiful venue for your upcoming event.
Tawstock Court History Overview
The Tawstock Estate was mentioned originally in the Domesday Book. There has been a manor house at Tawstock Court since the late 13th century. The name ‘court’ derives from the fact that the lord’s manor was the administrative and judicial center, not just for Tawstock but for other manors over which it had jurisdiction.
The size or description of the above manor house at this time is unknown but it would have been an altogether smaller affair than the 1740 painting of Tawstock Court which was probably commissioned by Sir Bourchier Wrey, 6th Baronet.
The mansion in the picture was described as ‘the largest and best finished in the county’. It occupied an imposing site over the River Taw and Codden Hill with formal lawns and gardens extending down the hill towards the church. A pathway was accessed through the gardens towards the church through the pillared gateway and into the church. This manor house in the picture was almost completed destroyed by fire on 10th November 1787.
Tawstock Court Timeline
-
1067
The Tawstock estate is gifted to Geoffrey de Mowbrey by William the Conqueror as a reward for de Mowbrey’s loyalty during the Norman conquest.
-
1086
The Tawstock Estate is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The name ‘Tawstock’ literally means ‘a place associated with water meadows on or near the River Taw’.
-
11th Century
Robert de Mowbrey is involved in an unsuccessful rebellion against William II, and loses Tawstock to the crown as a result.
-
12th Century
Henry I awards Tawstock Court to Lord Judhel of Totnes.
-
12th Century
The first manor house is built at Tawstock.
-
12th – 15th Century
Tawstock Court passes through the hands of many prominent families, including De Tracy, Fitzmartin, Audley and Fitzwarin, some of whom are recorded on the shields that can still be seen in the study today.
-
Late 15th Century
The Bourchier family makes its home at Tawstock. William Bourchier, 3rd Earl of Bath, orders a new manor house to be built.
-
16th Century
The grounds are used as a deer park for Barnstaple.
-
1642-1651
The English Civil War rages across the kingdom. During the conflict, the future king, Charles II, visits Tawstock Court before going into hiding. After the Battle of Torrington, the Parliamentarian General Fairfax visits Tawstock Court and decides to use it as his headquarters.
-
1654
Tawstock Court passes to Lady Anne Bourchier, who later marries Sir Chichester Wrey, 3rd Baronet, creating the Bourchier Wrey lineage.
-
1787
A fire burns the manor house almost to the ground. Only the gatehouse survives.
-
1789
Tawstock Court is rebuilt by order of Sir Bourchier Wrey, 7th Baronet. The house is designed by the renowned architect Sir John Soane.
-
1885
Sir Henry Bourchier Toke Wrey, 10th Baronet, makes substantial changes to Tawstock Court, most notably the two wings and new gatehouse that enclose the long courtyard.
-
1917
The last member of the Bourchier family to live at Tawstock – Sir Robert Bourchier Sherrard Wrey, 11th Baronet – leaves the manor house and it is let out.
-
1941
Tawstock Court becomes the home of St. Michaels Prep School, who rents it for more than 30 years.
-
1970s
St. Michaels School buys Tawstock Court from Sir Castel Richard Bourchier Wrey, 14th Baronet.
-
2011
The building has fallen into disrepair and St. Michaels School is forced to close.
-
2012
Tawstock Court is bought by the Peryer family, who begin an extensive programme of restoration.
-
2018
Tawstock Court reopens as one of Devon’s premier wedding and events venues.
Historic Photo Gallery
