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Urgent Notice

Sunday 24th November - Due to high winds this morning and fallen branches around the gardens, we will be opening at the later time of 11am today. Illuminate will take place as planned tonight.

Due to the weather some routes leading to Hestercombe are closed due to fallen trees, please check your route here before travelling as visitors may need to take alternative routes to the venue.

Memories of Hestercombe: A Christmas Chronology 1897-1943

To coincide with this festive time of year, our Archives Team delve into Christmas at Hestercombe in days gone by.

The Hon Constance Mary Portman and friend 1904

From the Archive: Hestercombe Halloween Tales

To coincide with the spooky time of year, our Archives Team delve into the history of some Hestercombe Halloween tales.

Hestercombe House

Memories of Hestercombe: The Honourable E. W. B. (‘Teddy’) Portman, (1856-1911)

Part 2 - Sport, Eating, Hospitals and Tragedy.

Part 2 Fig 1 Hestercombe Cricket Club 1896

Memories of Hestercombe: The Honourable E. W. B. 'Teddy' Portman (1856-1911)

Part 1 - Wealth, Marriage and Home to Hestercombe.

E W Bs coming of age fete 17 Aug 1877

Memories of Hestercombe: Cider Making

To coincide with Somerset Day (11th May), our Archives Team delve into the history of cider making in Somerset, particularly at Hestercombe.

Fig 3 Mill at Hestercombe Somerset by John Inigo Richards c 1770

From the Archives: Memories of Hestercombe - Part 11

MEMORIES OF HESTERCOMBE: ANDY THOMAS, A REAL SWELL GUY

Fig 2 Folly Farm Sulhamstead 1921

From the Archives: Memories of Hestercombe

MEMORIES OF HESTERCOMBE: THE 1873-77 REMODELLING OF HESTERCOMBE HOUSE

Fig 9 Great Hall south end 1872

Happy Burns Nights!

Burns Night has us investigating a Scottish Hestercombe...

170124 B Malika pat

From the Archives: Hestercombe in the First World War

The Hestercombe Estate made its contribution to the Great War effort by supplying soldiers to British regiments stationed in France, Belgium, India, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. This fascinating blog post by Archivist Kim Legate explores the stories of the Hestercombe staff members involved.

Hestercombe in World War 1 Fig 4 Chaplain Rev J Wilson Steele c 1914 1100px

From the Archives: Hestercombe, The Early Years (682-1391)

The next instalment from the Hestercombe Archives explores the fascinating early history of 'Haegsta’descumb', from 682 - 1391

Fig 1 Æthelwulf King of Wessex 839 858

The Kitchen Garden

In this instalment of Memories of Hestercombe, we explore the history of the now lost kitchen garden from the time of Sir Francis Warre onwards.

Fig 7 Kitchen Garden looking north along main axis 1904 from the archives kitchen garden

From the Archives: A Tale of Two Chapels – The Portman Chapel

MEMORIES OF HESTERCOMBE – PART 17: A TALE OF TWO CHAPELS Chapter Two: The Portman’s & the Church of St.…

Fig.-1-Church.-St-Marys-Hestercombe-on-1896-plan-Hestercombe-Archives

From the Archives: A Tale of Two Chapels - The Medieval Chapel

In this installment from the Archives of Memories of Hestercombe, we delve into the religious heritage of the former owners of the Hestercombe estate over the past 700 years and focus on the Medieval Chapel that once stood here.

Fig.-1-Detail-from-portrait-of-C.-W.-Bampfylde-by-J.-Wootton-c.1740-showing-the-Hestercombe-House-chapel-background-centre

The Great Wallpaper Discovery

For some time past very extensive additions and improvements have been made to the house with a view to its…

Poppy-wallpaper-2_compressed

From the Archives: Cricket, Anyone?

In this installment of Memories of Hestercombe - and with the Cricket World Cup coming to Taunton - we find out about the heritage of cricket on the Hestercombe estate.

Fig-2-Hestercombe-Cricket-Club-c.1896_cricket

From the Archives: the Hestercombe Estate in 1720

The Hestercombe archives are bursting at the seams with facts, pictures and accounts of the history of Hestercombe and…

Hestercombe-Estate-in-1720-_-Fig.-4-John-Bampfyldes-Georgian-House-c.1770

From the Archives: Upstairs Downstairs - Domestic Servants at Hestercombe

The Hestercombe archives are bursting at the seams with facts, pictures and accounts of the history of Hestercombe and…

Fig.-3-Willliam-Duppa-Miller-1904_domestic-servants_memories-of-hestercombe_archives

From the Archives: Memories of Hestercombe – The Grand Ball of January 1897

Take a fascinating look at the Grand Ball held at Hestercombe in the closing years of the 19th Century.

Fig.-1-L.C.H.-Palairet-at-the-wicket-a-model-position-Jubilee-Book-of-Cricket-1897-p.-157_Hestercombe_Grand-Ball

From the Archives: Memories of Hestercombe - James & Amy

The Hestercombe archives are bursting at the seams with facts, pictures and accounts of the history of Hestercombe…

Memories-of-Hestercombe_history_blog_James-Tooze-Amy-Mathews-Servants-at-Hestercombe-c.1872_HGT-3-1117

From the Archives: Hestercombe's Octagon Summerhouse

Rediscovering and Restoring the Octagon Summerhouse by Assistant Archivist, Ben…

octagon-summerhouse_hestercombe_archives_Archaeology

Memories of a much-loved Aunt

By Rosemary Pease née Portman

Mrs.-Portman-with-her-dog-1933

Hestercombe Gardens aerial Pawel Borowski DJI 0038

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