A wide range of themes come together in Saint Giles in the Wood: a row of former estate workers’ cottages, a monthly coffee gathering and historic buildings with precise dates. A garden-focused highlight is RHS Garden Rosemoor in Great Torrington, whose planting areas offer a variety of features. You can shape your trip around local history or your interest in gardens.
Cottages, milestone and architectural history
The group “Nos 5, 6, 7 and 8 Including Front Railings” consists of four former estate workers’ cottages. It was built around 1877 for the Honourable Mark George Kerr Rolle and is listed Grade II. The cottages thus form a unified row; the front railings are also included in the named group. The connection between the construction date, former use and patron is of particular interest for the village’s history.
A listed granite milestone at SS 499 179 bears the inscriptions “33 miles to Exon” and “1 mile to Torrington”. It dates from the late 18th to early 19th century. The two distances can be compared directly: one gives 33 miles to Exon, the other one mile to Torrington. Together with its material and dating, the inscriptions make the stone a very tangible historical record.
Way Barton and Stevenstone House also offer different perspectives on architectural history. Way Barton is an early 18th-century farmhouse, built on the site of an old manor known as a Barton. The ruins of Stevenstone House date from 1872 to 1873 and were built on an old historic site. Chronologically, the selection spans the early 18th-century farmhouse, the ruins of 1872/73 and the row of cottages from around 1877.
Community and remembrance
A regular event is the coffee gathering at St Giles, St Giles-in-the-Wood: it takes place on the third Wednesday of every month from 10:30 to 12:00. The programme includes coffee, cake and conversation. If you would like to plan your visit around it, check the date before travelling.
The war memorial of St Giles in the Wood is located in the church. It commemorates those who fell in the First World War, from 1914 to 1918. Alongside the buildings and their dates, a place of remembrance is therefore another point of interest to consider during your stay.
Garden areas at RHS Garden Rosemoor
RHS Garden Rosemoor in Great Torrington covers 65 acres. The individual garden areas differ in their planting: the Queen Mother's Rose Garden features modern roses, while the Shrub Rose Garden is planted with old, traditional rose varieties. Rose enthusiasts can thus view modern and traditional varieties side by side.
Other highlights include the Woodland Garden, with its many ornamental woodland plants, and the Stream Garden, where moisture-loving plants thrive. The names of the areas point to different gardening themes: roses are the focus of two gardens, while woodland plants and damp conditions shape the character of the other areas. These differences can help you tailor your visit to your own gardening interests.
RHS Garden Rosemoor can be reached by bus, train, bicycle or on foot. Check the RHS’s latest travel information before setting out.
Discover more destinations: Exebridge, Exeter, Cullompton, Kingskerswell, Parracombe, Slapton, Bridgerule, Cheriton Bishop.
For the broader travel overview: Devon.
