Buckland Monachorum

Tucked away in a secluded valley above the River Tavy, Buckland Abbey (National Trust) was founded in 1278 by Amicia, Countess of Devon, but became better known as the home of Sir Francis Drake. Drake purchased the former abbey in 1581 from his fellow-warrior (and part-time pirate) Sir Richard Grenville, whose exploits in his little ship Revenge were almost as colourful as those of Drake himself. The house remained in the Drake family until 1947 when it was acquired by the National Trust. Of the many exhibits at the abbey, Drake’s Drum takes pride of place – according to legend, the drum will sound whenever England is in peril. The drum was brought back to England by Drake’s brother, Thomas, who was with the great seafarer when he died on the Spanish Main in 1596 (rather ignominiously, of dysentery). Elsewhere at the abbey, visitors can see a magnificent 14th-century tithe barn, 154 feet long, housing an interesting collection of carts and carriages and a craft workshop, and a herb garden.

In the village itself, on the site of a medieval vicarage, The Garden House (see panel below) is surrounded by a delightful garden created after World War Two by Lionel Fortescue, a retired schoolmaster.

The parish church of St Andrew contains a tribute to the generations of Drakes who lived at Buckland Abbey, and there is a carving of the Golden Hind on the family pew.